


-^ 



^•s^..^ 



^ • -e^ A^ /^ 



•,. ..^ > -^^ 



^ , -' v- '< 







% 









'^^. 



.* 



O > 















\ 















r.V 



,0' o"^"*, 'O 



aO' 



•I o 



4 o 



■P 












°-/> 






v5' ^^ 






-e^ 



kP -i.v;/- ■^ v" 

^- ^^ xx* 'V 



.0 1 > • ■ ' ''> 






V'^^ 






^o 






o > 















4 o 



^'"--' aO^ "^ 












o > 



^> ■< -> ^0 






A 









V ♦ = . 



4 O 
V , ' • "^ o^ 



^x ...../ ^'% '$ 




% 



A «i. 







A' ^ o 









<?> "> " ■■ A- 









'V. ^^^^^^ 



•3^ 



•^^o^ 



^/^•^' -^ "^^w^^^*' /^\ _^. 



o > 



'''^. 0^ 
















■■/- 
•s 




















•S'h " , s 



-> 



V 











o > 
■ .'V -C, ' o . » " .0 O, ' . . s - V 






o > 




— ^^ - • • s * » 

^ V 






r^-. 



COMPENDIUM 



OF 



History and Biography 



OF 



POLK COUNTY, MINNESOTA 



MAJ. R. I. HOLCOMBE, Hiilorical Editor 
WILLIAM H. BINGHAM, General Editor 



WITH SPECIAL ARTICLES BY 

ELIAS STEENERSON, W. E. McKENZIE, N. P. STONE, EDMUND M. WALSH, 

JAMES M. CATHCART, CHARLES L. CONGER, PROFESSOR N. A. THORSON, 

C. G. SELVIG, THOMAS B. WALKER, WARREN UPHAM, E. D. 

CHILDS REV. E. THEILLON, PETER ALLAN CUMMING 

AND OTHERS 



ILL USTRA TED 



MINNEAPOLIS 
W. H. BINGHAM & CO. 

Bcoh Publishers and Engravers 

1916 






COPYRIGHT 1916 

BY 

W. H. BINGHAM & CO. 

Minneapolis, Minn. 



APR 27ISI6 



)GI.A427S53 



FOREWORD 



111 compiling this compendium of history and bi- 
ography and preparing it for publication its publish- 
ers have been engaged in a work of very unusual 
interest. The story told in these pages is substan- 
tially that of a rich and fertile region awakened by 
the commanding voice of mind from its wasteful sleep 
of ages to a condition of intensifying and expanding 
productiveness and the conversion of its vast re- 
sources, prior to that time unused, into serviceable 
forms for the benefit of mankind. 

The various stages by which that region has ad- 
vanced from a wilderness to a highly developed sec- 
tion of country, rich in all the elements of modern 
civilization — basking in pastoral abundance, re- 
sounding with the din of fruitful industry, busy with 
the mighty volume of a multiform and far-reaching 
commerce and bright with the luster of high moral, 
mental, and spiritual life — the home of an enterpris- 
ing, progressive, and all-daring people, as they 
founded and have built it, are depicted in detail or 
clearly indicated in the following chapters. Such a 
theme is always and everywhere an inspiring one. 
But happily for the world, though unhappily for the 
historian, among us it is one fast fading from current 
experience and comment into the realm of the anti- 
quarian. For in this land of oi;rs civilized man has 
established his dominion over almost every region, 
and there is little of our once vast wilderness left to 
be conquered. 

The book contains biographies of many of the 
progressive residents of Polk County, past and pres- 



ent, and some of men living elsewhere now who were 
once potent in the activities of this region — those 
who laid the foundations of its greatness and those 
who have built and are building on the superstructure 
— and is enriched with portraits of a number of them. 
It also gives a comprehensive survey of the numerous 
lines of productive energy which distinguish the peo- 
ple of the county at the present time and of those in 
which its residents have been engaged at all periods 
in the past since the settlement of the region began. 
And so far as past history and present conditions dis- 
close them, the work indicates the trend of the coun- 
ty 's activities and the goal which they aim to reach. 
In their arduous labor of preparing this volume the 
publishers and promoters of it have had most valu- 
able and highly appreciated assistance from many 
sources. Their special thanks are due and are cor- 
dially tendered to Judge William "Watts for his serv- 
ices as a reviewer and fountain of information ; to Mr. 
Elias Steenerson for his complete and entertaining 
contribution descriptive of the early Norwegian set- 
tlements in the county; to Mr. W. E. McKenzie for 
his discriminating history of the press in this section ; 
to Mr. N. P. Stone, Historian of the Old Settlers' So- 
ciety, for information obtainable from no other per- 
son ; to Mr. Edmund M. Walsh for thrilling remi- 
niscences of the early days at Crookston ;to ]\[r. James 
]\I. Cathart for his equally valuable history of the 
city of Crookston ; to Mr. Charles L. Conger for his 
graphic account of the rise and fall of Columbia 
County ; to Professor N. A. Thorson for his able and 



FOREWORD 



suggestive history of tlie Polk County school system ; 
to Mr. C. G. Selvig for his fine exposition of the Nortli- 
vvcstern School of Agriculture and the Experiment 
Station operated in connection with it; to j\Ir. Thomas 
B. Walker, of Minneapolis, for his lucid and highlj' in- 
teresting presentation of the salient features of the 
lumhering industry in this region; to Mr. James J. 
Hill and Mr. W. J. Murphy, of Minneapolis, for valu- 
ahlc, timely, and helpful encouragement in the work : 
to Mr. Warren Upham, secretary of the Minnesota 
Historical Society, for comprehensive and accurate 
information on the geography and geology of Polk 
County; to IMr. E. D. Childs, of North Yakima, Wash- 
ington, for a chapter of sparkling reminiscences of 
the early days; to Rev. William Thieliion for his ex- 
cellent article on Gentilly and his church there and 
the cheese factory conducted bv its members under 



his supervision and started by his initiative; to Peter 
Allan Cumming for his article on the Marias Com- 
nnmity, and to many other persons whose assistance is 
gratefully acknowledged but who are too numerous to 
be mentioned specially by name. Without the valu- 
able and judicious aid of all these persons, those who 
are named and those who are not, it would have been 
impossible to comiiile a history of Polk County of the 
completeness and high character it is hoped and be- 
lieved this one has. Finally, to the residents of Polk 
County, to whose patronage the book is indebted for 
its publication, and whose life stories constitute a 
large part of its contents, the publishers freely tender 
their grateful thanks, with the hope that these per- 
sons will find in the volume an ample recompense for 
their generosity and public spirit in making its pro- 
duction possible. 



CONTENTS 



CHAPTER I. 

GEOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY OF POLK COUNTY 9 

By Waeeen Upham. 

CHAPTER II. 
THE EARLY INDIAN INHABITANTS. 

LACK OP INFORMATION ABOUT THE VERY FIRST PEOPLE OF POLK COUNTY THE MOUND BUILDERS DOUBTLESS NEVER 

LIVED HERE, AND THE MOUNDS IN THE COUNTY WERE BUILT BY THE RED INDIANS THE CEEES WERE THE FIRST 

MODERN INDIANS TO LIVE HERE, ALTHOUGH EXACT PARTICULARS OF THEIR OCCUPATION ARE NOT KNOWN — THE 
CHIPPEWAS FOLLOWED THE CREES, FOUGHT THE SIOUX, AND DROVE THE MAJORITY OF THE LATTER FROM THE 

THIEF RIVER COUNTRY ORIGIN OF THE NAME OF THIEF RIVER — THE SIOUX AND CHIPPEWAS BATTLE FOR 

THE RED RIVER COUNTRY SIOUX DEFEAT AT PEMBINA FLAT MOUTH, THE CHIPPEWA CHIEF, THWARTS THE 

TREACHERY OP BEAVER, THE SIOUX CHIEF, AND HAS HIM MURDERED NEAR EAST GRAND FORKS — COL. ROBERT 
DICKSON, THE SCOTCH TRADER AT EAST GRAND FORKS, PROTESTS THE MURDER AND ALSO HELPS THE BRITISH 
IN THE WAR OF 1812 17 

CHAPTER III. 
THE FIRST WHITE MEN IN POLK COUNTY. 

THE NORSEMEN WHO MADE THE KENSINGTON RUNE STONE WERE FIRST— THE EARLY WHITE EXPLORERS — OTHER 
FIRST VISITORS TO MINNESOTA THE LA VERENDRYES DISCOVER THE RED RIVER VALLEY — FIRST PRINTED DESCRIP- 
TION OF THE REGION BY A CHIPPEWA HALF BREED RED LAKE NAMED "fROM THE COLOUR OP THE SAND " — 

NOT MANY OTHER EARLY EXPLORERS 28 

CHAPTER IV. 
FUR TRADERS THE FIRST WHITE RESIDENTS. 
THE Hudson's bay company — dunc.^n graham comes to east grand forks prior to 1800 — d.wid Thompson 

FINDS JE.\N BAPTISTE CADOTTE HERE IN 1798 — THE NORTHWEST FUR COMPANY FORMED AND SENDS IN TRAD- 
ERS — THE COLUMBIA AND AMERICAN FUR COMPANIES 34 



CONTENTS 

CHAPTER V. 

EARLY AMERICAN EXPLORATIONS IN RED RIVER VALLEY. 

MAJOB long's expedition IN 1823 — ITS HISTORIAN DESCRIBES BED LAKE KIVEB AS THE "BED FORK" AND NOTES 
THE SALT DEPOSITS OF THE REGION — COUNT BELTRAMI, OP ITALY, ACCOMPANIES THE MAJ. LONG EXI'EDITION, 

DESCRIBES THE COUNTRY, AND CALLS THE RED " THE BLOODY RIVER " THE SELKIRK SETTLEMENT AND ITS 

CONNECTION WITH THE HISTORY OF POLK COUNTY — SELKIRK COLONISTS WERE THE COUNTY 's FIRST WHITE 
RESIDENTS — THE AREA OF THE PRESENT COUNTY FIRST PURCHASED OF THE INDIANS BY LORD SELKIRK — CAPT. 
JOHN POPE, IN 1850, RECORDED THE FACT THAT THE COLONISTS CAME TO EAST GRAND FORKS BETWEEN 1814 
AND 1820 — A FEW OF THEIR NAMES 40 

CHAPTER VI. 
CHIEF HISTORIC FEATURES OF EARLY TIMES. 

THE OLD RED RIVER CARTS AND THEIR TRAILS — NORMAN KITTSON 's FIRST TRAIL ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE RED 

RIVER THROUGH POLK COUNTY ITS HISTORY AND LOCATION, AS MAPPED BY CAPT. POPE AND DESCRIBED BY 

OTHERS WHO TRAVELED THE ROUTE — IT CROSSED THE RED LAKE RIVER WEST OF FISHER — WAS THE TREATY OP 
1863 HEI.D AT THE PROPER CROSSING? — THE GOVERNMENT EXPEDITION UNDER MAJOR WOODS AND CAPTAIN 
POPE TO PEMBINA IN 1849 — IT FOLLOWED THE OLD KITTSON TRAIL AND CROSSED THE RED LAKE RIVER AT THE 
OLD CROSSING, WEST OP FISHER — THEY DESCRIBED THE COUNTRY NOW THE WEST SIDE OP POLK COUNTY AS 
GOOD FOR WHEAT BUT NOT PROMISING FOR CORN — THE TREATIES WHICH BOUGHT THE LAND PROM THE IN- 
DIANS — THE "old crossing" TREATY HELD AT THE NEW CROSSING OF RED LAKE RIVER 46 



CHAPTER VII. 
EARLY HISTORICAL DATA AFTER 1850. 

FIRST NATIONAL CENSUS FROM 1850 TO 1860 — HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY RETURNS TO MINNESOTA — BUILDING OP 

FORT ABraCHOMBIE — CREATION OF POLK COUNTY 56 



CHAPTER VIII. 
HISTORICAL ARTICLES OF THE EARLY SETTLEMENT. 

REMINISCENCES OP THE SETTLEMENT OP POLK COUNTY, BY ELIAS STEENERSON — E. M. W.VLSIl'S DESCRIPTIONS OF PI- 
ONEER BUSINESS LIFE— LUMBERING OPERATIONS IN POLK COUNTY, BY T. B. WALKEK^EARLY BUSINESS ENTER- 
PRISES, BY E. D. CIIILDS — GENESIS OF THE PRESENT HISTORY OF POLK COUNTY, WITH A GENERAL DESCRIPTION 

OF THE county's RESOURCES, BY N. P. STONE, HISTORIAN OF THE POLK COUNTY OLD SETTLERS' ASSOCIATION 

HISTORY OF THE CATHOLIC PARISH OF ST. PETER, CENTILLY, MINN., BY REV. E. THEILLON — THE MARAIS COM- 
MUNITY, BY PETER ALLAN GUMMING; ITS EARLY PERMANENT SETTLEMENT, ITS PROGRESS AND PRESENT CONDI- 
TION FIRST PERJIANENT SETTLERS — THE CHURCHES — SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS 63 



CONTENTS 
CHAPTER IX. 
CROOKSTON AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. 
By James A. Cathcart, Secretary of the Commercial Club. 

HISTORICAL SKETCH — CITY BUILDINGS AND OTHER PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS THE COMMERCIAL CLUB THE BANKS 

— MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES — THE CITY SCHOOLS — OTHER SCHOOLS — LODGES AND OTHER CIVIC ORGANIZA- 
TIONS — THE NORTHWESTERN MINNESOTA AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION HOSPITALS, ETC 85 



CHAPTER X. 

THE NEWSPAPERS OF POLK COUNTY. 

By W. E. McKenzih, Crookston Times. 

NEWSPAPER conditions PAST AND PRESENT LAND NOTICES PAID THE PIONEER PRINTERS E. M. WALSH AND THE 

crookston PLAINDEALER — FIRST PAPER WAS THE POLK COUNTY' JOURNAL BROWN AND HIS " BROAD AXE " 

THE TRAGIC TALE OF THE NORTHERN TIER THE CROOKSTON CHRONICLE THE FISHER BULLETIN THE PAPERS 

OF 1882 RED LAKE FALLS DEMOCRAT AND THE CROOKSTON TIMES FIRST DEMOCRATIC PAPERS THE m'INTOSH 

TIMES — CROOKSTON TRIBUNE THE VESTESHEIMEN THE PEOPLE'S PRESS OTHER POLK COUNTY PAPERS ALIVE 

AND DEAD 90 



CHAPTER XI. 

THE SCHOOLS OF POLK COUNTY. 

By N. a. Thorson. 

BASIS for school DEVELOPMENT — THE COMING OP THE COUNTY 's SCHOOLS — COUNTY SCHOOLS IN 1877 AND IN 
1878 — FIRST PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER, LUELLA MAY THOMPSON — OTHER EARLY TEACHERS — THE COUNTY SU- 
PERINTENDENTS — REPORTS OP SCHOOL YEARS FROM 1882 TO 1908 — THE CONDITIONS IN 1910 — SOURCES OP 
SCHOOL SUPPORT — APPORTIONMENT — STATISTICS OP STATE AND OTHER AIDS — PRESENT CONDITIONS OP POLK 
COUNTY SCHOOLS 96 



CHAPTER XII. 
THE CROOKSTON SCHOOL OP AGRICULTURE. 
By C. G. Selvig. 
a red river valley institution new building dedicated death op superintendent wm. robertson the 

school's ADVANCEMENT AND GROWTH MOVING YEAR SCHOOL FACULTY — ^EQUIPPING A TECHNICAL SCHOOL 

THE SCHOOL 's GROWTH — ITS WORK OUTSIDE SCHOOLROOM DOORS 106 



CONTENTS 

CHAPTER XIII. 
THE NORTHWEST SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURE AND EXPERIMENT STATION. 

By Superintendent C. G. Selvig. 

ORIGIN AND EARLY HISTORY — SECURING THE LAND FOR A SITE — BEGINNINGS IN 1895 — THE SOIL AT THE STATION — 
PLANS OUTLINED THE WORK OF EARLY YEARS DRAINAGE INSTALLED DRAINAGE WORK BEGUN A NEW AD- 
MINISTRATION — EXPERIMENTS IN CROP PRODUCTION FIELD CROP WORK THE HORTICULTURAL DIVISION 

LIVE STOCK DEPARTJIEXTS, ETC Ill 

CHAPTER XIV. 

HISTORY OF AGRICULTURE IN POLK COUNTY. 

By Prof. C. G. Selvig. 

location op the coi'nty — early geological history soils temperature settlement and first set- 
tlers — red river carts immigration after 1876 pioneer wheat farming agricultural devel- 
opments and production statistics present farming conditions — corn potatoes — fruits live 

stock industry dairying poultry raising — live stock farming caj'tle statistics — growth of 

live stock raising — statistics of farm products and live stock — drainage work in polk county, by 

GEORGE A. RALPH, C. E r 116 

CHAPTER XV. 

THE RISE AND FALL OF COLUMBIA COUNTY. 

By Charles L. Conger. 

some proceedings of the board business done regularly and in order defeat and disaster after all 

— the new county fight of 1896 the leaders of columbia's fight for existence 125 

CHAPTER XVI. 
THE BANKING INTERESTS OF THE COUNTY. 

SKETCHES OF SOME OF THE IMPORTANT AND TYPICAL BANKS OF POLK COUNTY CROOKSTON STATE BANK— THE FIRST 

NATIONAL BANK OF M 'iNTOSH THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK OP CROOKSTON POLK COUNTY STATE BANK — 

SCANDIA AMERICAN BANK, CROOKSTON — FIRST STATE BANK OF FERTILE FIRST STATE BANK OP EAST GRAND 

FORKS — STATE BANK OF ELDRED THE STATE BANK OF ERSKINE — FARMERS STATE BANK OF WINGER — FIRST 

STATE BANK OF MENTOR — CITIZENS STATE BANK OF FERTILE — FARMERS STATE BANK OF FERTILE — FIRST NA- 
TIONAL BANK OF EAST GRAND FORKS — STATE BANK OF FISHER — FARMERS MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY 

FIRST STATE BANK OF BELTRAMI 131 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 



To face page / To face page 

Polk County Court House 9' The Consolidated .Seliool at Trail, Tolk County 96 

The Old Crossing of Red Lake River, near Fisher, in 1858 48 1^ District 69— Polk County 96 K 

First Depot in Crookston— Picture taken in 1874 70 '^ District 372— Polk County 90 K 

Main Street, Crookston, in 1883 7o/ N. A. Thorson, County Superintendent 96 J^ 

Crookston Lumber ]Mill in Height of its Activities 72 "^ Central High School, Crookston 101 >^ 

Pioneer Fire Fighters 76 New Armory, Crookston lOlK 

Bird's-Eye View of Crookston in 1885 76/ Owen Hall, Robertson Hall, Stephens Hall, Kiehle Build- 
Robert Houston's Claim Shanty 85'^ ing and Home Economics 107'^ 

Crookston's Water Power in Early Days 85 / Home Economics Building and Stephens Hall 109 l^ 

Crookston's First Flour Mill 85 / Senior Hall and the Hill Building 110 C-^ 

South Broadway, Post Office in Foreground 86 '/' Another View, Including Superintendent's Residence 113 C/ 

A Corner of the Railroad Yards, Crookston 87 ^' Stock at Northwest Experiment Station 115 >^ 

The Crookston Dam (Built by V7. J. Murphy in 1914) 88 / First National Bank at Jlclntosh 131 •^ 

INDEX OF PORTRAITS 



Anglim, W. S 465 '-^Jlorris, Tom 153 ' 

^ Mossefin, Ed SS*"^ 

Bagley, Sumner Chesly J"^ ""^Murphy, W. J 8^58 

Berg, CM 131-343 

Buckler, Hon. R. T 194'>-'^e!son. Dr. Arne 413i— ' 

,/ Nelson, Theodore 375 ^""^ 

Conger, Charles L 161'' 

,/Opheim, Andrew 407 " 

Duckstad, Brown 391 Q^nstad, Jens, M. D 399 l^ 

Flaskernd, K. E., Mr. and Mrs ■'51 ^ Pp„op TNT 32i ^ 

Hanson, Norman 495 i/Remick, Mr. and Mrs. .John ~'^'^ ^ 

Hendricks, John Albert ,367 '-^Rosaaen, Hans Olus ^'^'Z^ 

Hill, James Jerome 11^444 Ross, Charles 384 

.Tohnson, Edward W SOO'^Sargent. Mr. and Mrs. Joseph 283 l^ 

. Selvig, Conrad G 430 *^ 

Keck, Bert D 253 ^Stecnerson. Elias 167 1^ 

Kelley, Andrew J 431 ' Steenerson, Gunder 201 t^ 

Kronschnabel, George 307>^ Kteenerson, Hon. Halvor 363 ^^ 

Krostue, Hon. Gunder 175 v/stowe, Edmund L '. 3S3 \^ 

Larsen, L. W - 243^^*°"^' ^=^t'-" ^ ^'^'^ 

McKenzie, William E 233^ '^'^-^'^•^'' ^°"''^'^' ylll 

MeKinnon, John R 2,.^ Thorson, N. A 9(1-395 

^ Vasenden, Nels 315 

Marin, W. A 216 1^ 



V' 



Melbo, Hans H 358 *^ Walker, Thomas Barlow 74-451 

Merrill, Anson Charles 411"^ Watts, Hon. William 141 "^^ 

Misncr, Harvey Chase 146'^ Wheeler, Jerome Winthrop 187 *^ 



HISTORY OF POLK COUNTY 



CHAPTER I. 

GEOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY OF POLK COUNTY. 

By Warren Upham. 



PRINCIPAL RIVERS. 

The great watercourses of Polk County are the Red 
River, which here flows nearly north-northwest, form- 
ing the western boundary of the county and the state, 
and its principal tributary, the Red Lake River, which 
takes a more meandering course. If the many small 
loops and bends of the latter stream are disregarded, 
however, its general route, from which the bends 
mostly deviate only a quarter to a half of a mile on 
either side, is seen on the map to be quite direct, run- 
ning west and northwest through the central part of 
the county. The cities of Grand Porks and East 
Grand Porks are named from their situation where 
these streams unite, or rather where the lower river 
forks as it was seen by the Indians or the Prench voy- 
ageurs when coming up in their canoes. 

Both these rivers have received translations of their 
Ojibway or Chippewa names, which these Indians 
gave to them on account of their being the outlet of 
the great Red Lake. Above the Grand Porks, indeed, 
the main Red River, as it is named by the white men, 
was called Otter Tail River by the Ojibways from the 
lake of that name on the upper part of its course. We 
may also go a step farther back to note that the name 
of Red Lake is likewise translated from its Ojibway 
name, given very long ago, according to the late Rev. 
Joseph A. Gilfillan, for twenty-five years a missionary 
on the White Earth reservation, from the bright red 
and vermilion hues of the sunset sky reflected upon 



the placid water of the lake; while Otter Tail Lake 
derived its Indian name from a long point of land, 
shaped like the tail of an otter, between the east end 
of the lake and its main inflowing stream. 

FOREST AND PRAIRIE. 

The southeast part of this county is sparingly tim- 
bered, mostly with groves of small poplars, being 
on the western limit of the originally forested region 
of the eastern United States; but it also has consid- 
erable expanses of original prairie, interspersed with 
the wooded and brushy areas. Westward a heavier 
growth of forest trees, including oaks, elm, basswood, 
box-elder, cottonwood, and other species, borders the 
rivers, usually reaching only a few rods and rarely a 
quarter of a mile from their banks. Otherwise the 
main western tract, forming a part of the broad and 
flat Red River Valley, is an extensive prairie, richly 
carpeted with grasses and flowers, being the eastern 
margin of the great prairie region of western and 
southern Minnesota, which thence continues west in 
the Dakotas and is gradually succeeded by the drier 
treeless plains that reach to the Rocky Mountains. 

SURFACE FEATURES. 

Although no very conspicuous hills or ridges diver- 
sify the surface of Polk County, it includes in its 
highest southeastern part two tracts of low drift hills, 
small ridges and knolls, called moraines, which were 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



10 

amassed on the borders of the continental ice-sheet at 
times of pause or readvauee interrupting its general 
departure from this region. The more northern of 
these tracts begins close east of Fertile and reaches 
about thirty-five miles northeast and east, with a 
width from one to five miles, passing close soutli of 
Erskine and onward to Gully station, near the east 
boundary of the county. The more southern morainic 
tract is part of a wider and longer hilly belt, stretch- 
ing from Fosston southward into Mahnomen County 
and northeastward into and through Clearwater 
County. 

Hills in each of these moraines occasionally rise 
50 to 75 feet, or rarely more, above the adjoining and 
intervening hollows. Nearly all the surface is strewn 
with plentiful drift boulders, vai-ying in size up to 
five feet or sometimes ten feet in length or diameter. 
Their abundance on the moraine belts is in remark- 
able contrast to their infrequent occurrence on other 
and smoother glacial drift areas that form much of 
this southeast part of Polk County and also the 
greater parts of Red Lake and Pennington counties, 
■which originally were included in this county. 

No rock outcrop is found in these counties, nor 
indeed in a very large region of western Minnesota, 
which is overspread with a vast sheet of the glacial 
and modified drift deposits to a depth commonly 
ranging from 100 to 200 feet or more, mantling and 
concealing the bed rocks. 

Westward, along the low and flat valley of the 
R^d River, fine alluvial silt, destitute of drift boulders 
or even pebbles, is spread over both the underlying 
rocks and the glacial drift, reaching in general about 
twenty or twenty-five miles from the river. This 
deposit, which has given this valley its fame as a 
very fertile wheat raising area, was laid down 
chiefly by river floods that flowed northward after 
the ancient lake of the valley had been drained away. 
If the valley silt were mainly of lacustrine deposition, 
it would extend farther from the Red River to the 
old lake beaches on each side of the valley at consid- 
erable heights above the flat river plain. 



FLOODS OF RED KIVEK. 

The range between the lowest and highest stages 
of the Red River much surpa.sses that of any other 
river in Minnesota. At Breekenridge the range is 
about 15 feet, but it increases rapidly northward, 
liecoming 32 feet at Moorhead, attaining its maxi- 
mum of 50 feet in the south part of Polk County, 
and continuing nearly at 40 feet from Grand Forks 
to the international boundary and Winnipeg. Floods 
rising nearly or quite to the high water line thus 
noted have been rare, occurring in 1826, 1852, 1860, 
1861, and 1882. They are caused in the spring by 
the melting of unusual svipplies of snow and by heavy 
rains, and often are increased by gorges of ice, which 
is usually broken up along the southern upper portion 
of the river earlier than along its lower course. These 
floods attain a height only a few feet below the level 
of the adjoining prairie where that is highest, and 
along the greater part of the distance between Moor- 
head and Winnipeg the banks are overflowed and the 
flat land on each side of the river to a distance of two 
to four or five miles from it is covered with water 
one to five feet or more in depth. 

HEIGHTS ABOVE THE SE.\. 

It is of much interest, for our consideration of 
the ancient water levels, that a brief notice be given 
to the altitude and general contour of Minnesota, and 
more especially of the basin of the Red River. The 
topographic features of the state may be summed 
up for its western three quai'ters as being a moder 
ately undulating, sometimes nearly flat, but occa- 
sionally hilly area, gradually descending from the 
Coteau des Prairies and from the Leaf hills, re- 
spectively about 2,000 and 1,700 feet above the sea, 
to half that height, or from 1,000 to 800 feet, in 
the Red River Valley and to the same height along 
the valley of the Mississippi from St. Cloud to Min- 
neapolis. The lowest land in Minnesota is the shore 
of Lake Superior, 602 feet above the sea; and the 
Mississippi flows pa.st the southeast corner of the 
state at the height of 620 feet. 



COMPENDIUM OP HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



11 



Lakes in northern and central Becker County, 
forming the sources of Ottertail River, the head stream 
of the Red River, are 1,400 to 1,500 feet above the 
sea; Ottertail Lake, 1,315 feet; and Red Lake, 1,176 
feet. 

Rainy Lake is 1,117 feet above the sea; the Rainy 
River descends 23 feet at International Falls, two 
miles and a half from the mouth of this lake ; the 
Lake of the Woods is at 1,060 feet; and the Winni- 
peg River thence falls 350 feet to Lake Winnipeg. 

At Fergus Falls the Red River descends about 
80 feet in three miles, from 1,210 to 1,130 feet; at 
Breckenridge its height at the stage of low water is 
943 feet ; at Moorhead and Fargo, 866 feet ; at Grand 
Forks, 784; at St. Vincent and Pembina, near the 
northwest corner of Minnesota, 748; and at the city 
of Winnipeg, 724 feet. 

Heights of railway stations in this county, noted 

in feet above the sea, are as follows : 

Beltrami 901 East Grand Forks. . 831 

Russia 892 Burwell 914 

Kittson 885 Benoit 1019 

Carman 877 Dugdale 1138 

Crookston 863 Mentor 1167 

Shirley 900 Erskine 1187 

Euclid 890 Mcintosh 1218 

Angus 870 Fosston 1288 

Fisher 852 Fertile 1140 

MaUory 837 Tilden 1116 

GEOLOGIC ERAS. 

During the early geologic eras of Archean and 
Paleozoic time, which were almost inconceivably long, 
Polk County appears to have been a land surface, re- 
ceiving no rock formations. Probably then, as now, 
it was in the interior of a large continent, which with 
many changes has become the North America of today. 

Through the greater part of the ensuing Mesozoic 
era, so named for its intermediate types of plants and 
animals, Minnesota was wholly a land area. The 
floras and faunas of this time were gradually chang- 
ing from their primitive and ancient characters, called 
Paleozoic, but had not yet attained to the relatively 
modern or new forms which give the name Cenozoic 
to the next and latest great division of geologic time. 



Toward the end of the Cretaceous period, in late 
Mesozoic time, western Minnesota was depressed be- 
neath the sea. Frequent outcrops of Cretaceous shales 
and sandstone, continuous from their great expanse 
on the western plains, occur here and there in the 
central and southern parts of this state; and in 
numerous other places deep Avells, after passing 
through the thick covering of glacial drift, encounter 
these Cretaceous strata, which sometimes are found 
to reach to a thickness of several hundred feet. 

Ever since the uplift of the Red River basin from 
the Cretaceous Sea, it has stood above the sea level 
and has received no marine sediments. It was in- 
stead being slowly sculptured by rains and streams 
through the long periods of the Tertiary era; and 
during a part of the relatively short Quaternary era 
it was deeply covered by snow and ice similar to 
the ice-sheets that now envelop the interior of Green- 
land and the Antarctic continent. 

These two eras, or principal divisions of geologic 
history, may be here classed together as a single 
Cenozoic era, distinguished by the evolutionary crea- 
tion of new and present types of life. Nearly all the 
plants and animals of the preceding eras have dis- 
appeared, as also many that lived in the early Cenozoic 
periods, while new species succeeding them make up 
the present floras and faunas. 

THE ICE AGE. 

The last among the completed periods of geology 
was the ice age, most marvelous in its strange contrast 
with the present time, and also unlike any other 
period during the very long, uniformly warm or tem- 
perate eras which had preceded. The northern half 
of North America and northern Europe then became 
enveloped with thick sheets of snow and ice, prob- 
ably caused chiefly by uplifts of the lands as exten- 
sive high plateaus, receiving snowfall throughout the 
year. But in other parts of the world, and especially 
in its lower temperate and tropical regions, all the 
climatic conditions were doubtless then nearly as now, 
permitting plants and animals to survive and flourish 



12 



COIUPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



until the departure of the ice-sheets gave them agaiu 
opportunity to spread over the northern lands. 

High preglacial elevation of the drift-bearing re- 
gions is known by the depths of fjords and sub- 
merged continuations of river valleys, which on the 
Atlantic, Arctic and Pacific coasts of the north part 
of North America show the land to have been elevated 
at least 2,000 to 3,000 feet higher than now. In Nor- 
way the bottom of the Sogne Fjord, the longest and 
deepest of the many fjords of that coast, is 4,000 feet 
below the sea level. Previous to the Glacial period or 
Ice age, and doubtless causing its abundant snowfall, 
so high uplift of these countries had taken place that 
streams flowed along the bottoms of the fjords, chan- 
neling them as very deep gorges on the borders of the 
land areas. 

Under the vast weight of the ice-sheets, however, 
the lands sank to their present level, or mostly some- 
what lower, whereby the temperate climate, with hot 
summers, properly belonging to the southern portions 
of the ice-clad regions, was restored. The ice-sheets 
were then rapidly melted away, though with numer- 
ous pauses or sometimes slight readvances of the 
mainly receding glacial boundary. 

On certain belts the drift was left in hills and ridges 
accumulated during this closing stage of the Glacial 
period along the margin of the ice wherever it halted 
in its general retreat or temporarily readvanced. 
Upon the greater part of Minnesota and North Dakota 
the only hills are formed of this morainie drift, rang- 
ing in height commonly from 25 to 75 or 100 feet, but 
occasionally attaining much greater altitude, as in the 
Leaf Hills of Ottertail County, Minnesota, which rise 
from 100 to 350 feet above the moderately undulating 
country on each side. 

GLACIAL LAKE AGASSIZ. 

When the departing ice-sheet, in its melting off the 
land from south to north, receded beyond the water- 
shed dividing the basin of the Minnesota River from 
that of the Red River, a lake, fed by the glacial melt- 
ing, stood at the foot of the ice fields, and extended 



northward as they withdrew along the valley of the 
Red River to Lake Winnipeg, filling this broad valley 
to the height of the lowest point over which an outlet 
could be found. Until the ice barrier was melted on 
the area now crossed by the Nelson River, thereby 
draining this glacial lake, its outlet was along the pres- 
ent course of the Minnesota River. At first its over- 
flow was on the nearly level undulating surface of the 
drift, 1,100 to 1,125 feet above the sea, at the west side 
of Traverse and Big Stone counties; but in the proc- 
ess of time this cut a channel there, called Brown 'a 
Valley, 100 to 150 feet deep and about a mile wide, 
the highest point of which, on the present water 
divide between the Mississippi and Nelson basins, is 
975 feet above the sea level. From this outlet the 
valley plain of the Red River extends 315 miles north 
to Lake Winnipeg, which is 710 feet above the sea. 
Along this entire distance there is a very uniform 
continuous descent of a little less than one foot per 
mile. 

The farmers and other residents of this fertile plain 
are well aware that they live on the area once occu- 
pied by a great lake, for its beaches, having the form 
of smoothly rounded ridges of gravel and sand, a few 
feet high, with a width of several rods, are observ- 
able extending horizontally long distances upon each 
of the slopes which rise east and west of the valley 
plain. Hundreds of farmers have located their build- 
ings on these beach ridges as the most dry and sightly 
.spots on their land, affording perfectlj- drained cel- 
lars even in the most wet spring seasons, and also 
yielding to wells, dug through this sand and gravel, 
better water than is usually obtainable in wells on the 
adjacent clay areas. "Wliile each of these farmers, and 
in fact everyone living in the Red River Valley, rec- 
ognize that it is an old lake bed, few probably know 
that it has become for this reason a district of special 
interest to geologists, who have traced and mapped 
its upper shore along a distance of about 800 miles. 

Numerous explorers of this region, from Long and 
Keating in 1823, to General G. K. Warren in 1868 
and Professor N. H. Winchell in 1872, recognized the 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



13 



lacustrine features of this valley ; and the last named 
geologist first gave what is now generally accepted as 
the true explanation of the lake's existence, namely, 
that it was produced in the closing stage of the Glacial 
period by the dam of the continental ice-sheet at the 
time of its final melting away. As the border of the 
ice-sheet retreated northward along the Red River 
Valley, drainage from that area could not flow, as 
now, freely to the north through Lake Winnipeg 
and into the ocean at Hudson Bay, but was turned 
by the ice-barrier to the south across the lowest place 
on the watershed, which was found, as before noted, 
at Brown's Vallej', on the west boundary of Min- 
nesota. 

Detailed exploration of the shore lines and area of 
this lake was begun by the present writer for the 
Minnesota Geological Survey in the years 1879 to 
1881. In subsequent years I was employed also in 
tracing the lake shores through North Dakota for the 
United States Geological Survey, and through south- 
em Manitoba, to the distance of 100 miles north 
from the international boundary, for the Geological 
Survey of Canada. For the last named survey, also, 
Mr. J. B. Tyrrell extended the exploration of the 
shore lines, more or less completely, about 200 miles 
farther north, along the Riding and Duck mountains 
and the Porcupine and Pasquia hills, west of Lakes 
Manitoba and Winnipegosis, to the Saskatchewan 
River. 

This glacial lake was named by the present writer 
in the eighth annual report of the Minnesota Geolog- 
ical Survey, for the year 1879, in honor of Louis 
Agassiz, the first prominent advocate of the theory of 
the formation of the drift by land ice. Its outflowing 
river, whose channel is now occupied by Lakes 
Traverse and Big Stone and Brown 's Valley, was also 
named by me, in a paper read before the American 
Association for the Advancement of Science, at its 
Minneapolis meeting in 1883, as the River Warren, 
in commemoration of General Warren's admirable 
work in the United States Engineering Corps, in pub- 
lishing maps and reports of the Minnesota and Mis- 



sissippi River survej's. Descriptions of Lake Agassiz 
and the River Warren were somewhat fully given 
in the eighth and eleventh annual reports of the 
Minnesota Geological Survey, and in the first, second, 
and fourth volumes of its final report ; and more com- 
plete descriptions and maps of the whole lake, in 
Minnesota, North Dakota, and Manitoba, were pub- 
lished in 1895 as Monograph XXV of the United 
States Geological Survey. 

Several successive levels of Lake Agassiz are re- 
corded by distinct and approximately parallel beaches 
of gravel and sand, due to the gradual lowering of the 
outlet by the erosion of the channel at Brown's Val- 
ley, and these are named principally from stations on 
the Breckenridge and Wahpeton line of the Great 
Northern Railway in their descending order, the Her- 
man, Norcross, Tintah, Campbell, and McCauleyville 
beaches, because they pass through or near these sta- 
tions and towns. The highest, or Herman, beach is 
traced in Minnesota from the northern end of Lake 
Traverse eastward to Herman, and thence northward, 
passing a few miles east of Barnesville, through Mu3- 
koda, on the Northern Pacific Railway, and around 
the west and north sides of Maple Lake, which lies 
in Polk County, about twenty miles east-southeast of 
Crookston, beyond which it goes eastward to the south 
side of Red and Rainy lakes. In North Dakota the 
Herman shore lies about four miles west of Wheat- 
land, on the Northern Pacific Railway, and the same 
distance west of Larimore on the Pacific line of the 
Great Northern Railway. On the international bound- 
ai"y, in passing from North Dakota into Manitoba, 
this shore coincides with the escarpment or front of 
the Pembina Mountain plateau; and beyond passes 
northwest to Brandon on the Assiniboine, and thence 
northeast to the Riding Mountain. 

Leveling along the upper beach shows that Lake 
Agassiz, in its earliest and highest stage, was nearly 
200 feet deep above Moorhead and Fargo, a little 
more than 300 feet deep above Grand Forks and 
Crookston; about 450 feet above Pembina, St. Vin- 
cent, and Emerson; and about 500 and 600 feet, re- 



14 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



spectively, above Lakes Manitoba and Winnipeg. 
The length of Lake Agassiz is estimated to have 
been nearly 700 miles, and its area not less than 
110,000 square miles, exceeding the combined areas of 
the five great lakes tributary to the St. Lawrence. 

After the ice border was so far melted back as to 
give outlets northeastward lower than the River War- 
ren, numerous other beaches marking these lower 
levels of the glacial lake were formed, and finally, by 
the full departure of the ice. Lake Agassiz was drained 
away to its present representative, Lake Winnipeg. 

While the outflow passed southward, seventeen suc- 
cessive shore lines, marked by distinct beach ridges, 
were made by the gradually falling northern part of 
this lake ; but all these, when traced southward, are 
united into the five beaches before noted for the 
southern part of the lake. During its stages of north- 
eastern outflow, a lower series of fourteen shore lines 
were made. Thus Lake Agassiz had, in total, thirty- 
one successive stages of gradual decline in height and 
decrease in area. 

The earliest Herman beach has a northward ascent 
of about a foot per mile, but the lowest and latest 
beaches differ only very slightly from perfect horizon- 
tality. It is thus known that a moderate uplift of 
this area, increasing in amount from .south to north, 
was in progress and was nearly or quite completed 
while the ice-sheet was melting away. Before the Gla- 
cial period, all the northern half of our continent 
had been greatly elevated, producing at last the cold 
and snowy climate and the thick ice-sheet; in a late 
part of that period the land was depressed under the 
weight of the ice. which in consequence melted away; 
and latest, at the same time with the departure of 
the ice-sheet, the unburdened land rose a few hnnd- 
dred feet, the uplift having a gradual increase toward 
the central part of the country formerh^ ice-covered. 

In comparison with the immensely long and an- 
cient geologic periods that had preceded, the final 
melting of the ice-sheet, the deposition of its marginal 
moraines and other drift formations, its fringing 
glacial lakes, and the attendant uplifting of the land. 



occupied little time and were very recent. The en- 
tire duration of Lake Aga.ssiz, estimated from the 
amount of its wave action in erosion and in the accu- 
mulation of beach gravel and sand, appears to have 
been only about 1,000 years, and the time of its ex- 
istence is thought to have been somewhere between 
6.000 and 10.000 years ago. 

BEACHES AND DELTA IN THIS COUNTY. 

The south line of Polk County crosses the highest 
beach near the middle of the south side of Garfield 
Township, about two and a half miles southeast of 
Fertile. In the east edge of the southeast quarter of 
section 28 and the west edge of the northwest quar- 
ter of section 27, Garfield, this beach is a typical ridge 
of gravel and sand, with its crest 1,166 to 1,173 feet 
above the sea. There is a gi'adual descent toward the 
west. The depression on the east is a sixth to a fourth 
of a mile wide, sinking 6 to 10 feet below the beach. 
Farther eastward the land is moderately undulating 
glacial drift, rising 20 to 30 feet above the beach and 
Ijearing frequent groves of small poplars, bur oak, and 
canoe birch. 

When Lake Agassiz stood at its greatest height, the 
Sand Hill River brought into its margin a delta six 
miles long from south to north and three miles wide, 
reaching from the upper beach to the west side of Gar- 
field and continuing south through the northwest part 
of Sundal in Norman County. The surface of this 
delta deposit of stratified gravel and sand descends 
slowly westward and is ci'ossed by the lower Herman 
and Norcross shores, though these lake levels are not 
there generally traceable. The Tiiitah shores pass 
along its western margin, which in some portions was 
worn away to a low escarpment, steeper than its origi- 
nal frontal slope, while the eroded sand and gravel, 
after being carried some distance southward, but not 
wholly beyond the delta, were deposited in beach 
ridges. Upon the delta plain many dunes of small 
and large size, seen from a distance of ten or twelve 
miles across the lower expanse at the west, have been- 
heaped iip by the winds, probably mostly before vege- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



15 



tation had spread over this area after the withdrawal 
of the glacial lake. 

In the south half of section 32, Garfield, and in a 
belt which thence extends approximately north and 
south, the surface of the delta, as it was originallj' 
deposited, falls toward the west with a slope of 25 
or 30 feet in a mile, from 1,125 or 1,130 feet to about 
1,100 feet above the sea. Beneath the original sur- 
face, however, channels have been eroded by the 
winds, and sand hills 25 to 75 feet above it have 
been blown up in irregular groups and series, scat- 
tered over a tract about a mile wide and extending 
three or four miles southward from the Sand Hill 
River, in section 29, the northeast part of section 30, 
and in section 31 and 32, Garfield, and reaching south- 
ward in sections 5 and 8, Sundal. An isolated group 
of these hills lies north of the Sand Hill River, in the 
northwest quarter of section 16, Garfield. These sand 
dunes are in part bare, being so freqiaently drifted 
by the winds as to allow no foothold for vegetation; 
other portions are clothed with grass or with bushes 
and scanty dwarfed trees, including bur oak, the 
common aspen or poplar, cottonwood, green ash, black 
cherry, and the frost grape. 

The upper Herman beach, the first of the series 
which was formed in the vicinity of Maple Lake con- 
temporaneously with the single Herman beach farther 
south, runs approximately from south to north, 
through or near the northeast corner of section 4, Gar- 
field. It is a smooth gravel ridge, with its crest 1,165 
to 1,175 feet above the sea. The second Herman 
beach, in the east part of section 5, this township, 
and section 32, Godfrey, about a mile west of the 
upper beach, has a height of 1,149 to 1,153 feet, being 
a ridge of gravel and sand about fortj' rods wide, with 
very gentle, prolonged slopes toward both the east 
and west. A half or two thirds of a mile farther 
west, the third Hennan beach, passing through .the 
northwest quarter of section 5, Garfield, and the west 
part of section 32, Godfrey, has a height of 1,130 to 
1,135 feet, forming a distinct ridge in its southern 



part, but farther north being a flat area of gravel and 
sand, slightly elevated above the land next east. 

Thence the Herman beaches are very finely devel- 
oped for a distance of six to eight miles northward, 
passing through Godfrey Township into the southeast 
part of Tilden, where they curve to the northeast 
and east. From this great bend of their course, these 
beaches pass eastward by the noi'theast end of Maple 
Lake and by Mentor and Erskine. The highest Her- 
man beach is traced onward northeast and east to 
Trail and Gully railway stations; and it continues 
tlirough Clearwater and Beltrami counties, passing 
close south of Red Lake. 

Maple Lake, the largest of the many lakes in the 
southeast part of Polk County, is 1,169 feet above the 
sea. In its curving course west and north of this lake 
the highest beach of Lake Agassiz is magnificently ex- 
hibited, forming a massive, gently rounded ridge of 
gravel and sand, about thirty rods across, with the 
crest of its highest portion, along a distance of two 
or three miles, at 1,178 to 1,186 feet. 

On the Fosston line of the Great Northern railway 
and on the same latitude with the eastwardly curving 
beaches north of Maple Lake, three small beach ridges 
are crossed about two and a half miles east of Benoit, 
the elevation of their crests being successively 1,062, 
1,069, and again 1,069 feet, in their order from west 
to east. These probably represent the upper Tintah 
beach. One and a quarter miles farther east a more 
massive beach is crossed, with its crest at 1,092 feet, 
which is probably the lowest Norcross shore line. 
Other beach ridges crossed nearly one mile and a half 
and again nearly two miles east of the last, with crests 
respectively at 1,114 and 1,120 feet, are apparently 
referable to upper Norcross stages of the lake. The 
next beach noted on this railway, three quarters of a 
mile farther east, at the height of 1,142 feet, belongs 
to the lower portion of the Herman series. 

In section 34, Liberty, close south of the Sand Hill 
River, the Campbell shore is marked by a low eroded 
escarpment of the glacial drift or till, the top of which 
is 1,010 feet above the sea, being probably 10 feet 



16 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



higher than the lake level when it was made. It 
runs in a nearly due north course, parallel with the 
well developed JlcCauleyville beach ridges which lie 
a half to two thirds of a mile farther west. Continu- 
ing northward through Liberty and Onstad townships 
and the southern two thirds of Kertsonville, the 
Campbell shore is almost continuously a terrace cut 
in the till, having a descent of 10 to 30 feet within 
as many rods. Numerous boulders, remaining from 
the wave erosion, are strewn on a narrow belt below 
the terrace. The erosion was in progress along the 
greater part of this terrace during both the upper and 
lower Campbell stages of the lake ; but a beach ridge 
of gravel and sand, which was accumulated along its 
base during the lower stage, extends through section 
5, Onstad, and into the adjoining sections. 

From the southeast part of .section 9, Kertsonville, 
the Campbell shore takes a north-northeastward course 
for the next ten miles to the southwest corner of the 
township of Red Lake Falls and to the Red Lake River. 
Along this extent it bears a conspicuous beach deposit, 
on which several farmhouses are built, their cellars 
being dug to the depth of six or eight feet in gravel 
and sand, Avhile the surface on each side of the shore 
line is till. For the greater part of this distance there 
are two parallel beach ridges, usually occupying to- 
gether a width of about fifty rods. The crest of the 
eastern and higher beach is 1,012 to 1,015 feet above 
the sea, and that of the lower beach about 1,000 feet, 
varj'ing from this only one or two feet. Each ridge 
has a descent of four to six feet toward the east, and 
their western bases are respectively at 995 and 985 
feet, approximately. The upper and lower Campbell 
levels of Lake Agassiz, which heaped up these beaches 
by their waves, were very nearly at 1,000 and 990 feet. 

Several much later and lower stages of this ancient 
ice-dammed lake, after it had ceased to outflow at 
Brown's Valley, are represented by beach ridges 
traced in nearly parallel south to north courses 



through Crookston, Pamell, Belgium, Euclid, Angus, 
and adjoining townships. The lowest beach observed 
in this count}', passing through sections 10 and lo, 
Tabor, is referred to the Gladstone stage of the lake, 
named from Gladstone in Manitoba. The southern 
end of the waning Lake Agassiz had then receded 
from Brown's Valley to the vicinitj* of the mouth of 
Sand Hill River, and its depth of water above the 
present Lake Winnipeg was reduced to less than 200 
feet. 

Two relatively small deltas were formed in the east 
edge of the lake by the Buffalo and Sand Hill rivers, 
while its west edge received four deltas, each much 
larger in both area and thickness, namely the Shey- 
enne. Elk Valley, Pembina, and Assiniboine deltas. 
All of these remarkable tributary .sand and gravel 
deposits were brought by inflowing streams during the 
earliest and highest Herman stages of the lake, though 
each was considerably channeled and in part borne 
farther and to lower levels during the later and lower 
stages. In every instance the delta formations were 
supplied mainly by drainage from neighboring por- 
tions of the melting and departing ice-sheet. Alike 
on the east and west sides of the Red River Valley, 
the retreating border of the continental glacier nearly 
adjoined the ancient lake, being melted back from 
south to north as fast as the lake grew northward and 
made its earliest beaches. 

Above the Sand Hill delta, southeastern Polk Coun- 
ty was yet covered by the ice, melting fast away every 
summer, when its drift supplied the sand beds of the 
delta. Not far distant northward, the front of the 
ice-sheet stretched across the valley, but it was grad- 
ually yielding its place to the great glacial lake. Soon 
the originally .smooth delta expanse, laid bare by the 
land uplift and the declining lake levels, was partly 
blown by the winds into high and picturesque sand 
hills, before protecting vegetation could overspread 
the surface. 



CHAPTER II. 
THE EARLY INDIAN INHABITANTS. 

LACK OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE VERY FIRST PEOPLE OF POLK COUNTY THE MOUND BUILDERS DOUBTLESS NEVER 

LIVED HERE, AND THE MOUNDS IN THE COUNTY WERE BUILT BY THE RED INDIANS THE CREES WERE THE FIRST 

MODERN INDIANS TO LIVE HERE, ALTHOUGH EXACT PARTICULARS OP THEIR OCCUPATION ARE NOT KNOWN THE 

CHIPPEWAS FOLLOWED THE CREES, FOUGHT THE SIOUX, AND DROVE THE MAJORITY OP THE LATTER FROM THE 

THIEF RIVER COUNTRY — ORIGIN OF THE NAME OF THIEF RIVER THE SIOUX AND CHIPPEWAS BATTLE FOR 

THE RED RIVER COUNTRY — SIOUX DEFEAT AT PEMBINA — FLAT MOUTH, THE CHIPPEWA CHIEF, THWARTS THE 
TREACHERY OP BEAVER, THE SIOUX CHIEF, AND HAS HIM MURDERED NEAR EAST GRAND FORKS — COL. ROBERT 
DICKSON, THE SCOTCH TRADER AT EAST GRAND FORKS, PROTESTS THE MURDER AND ALSO HELPS THE BRITISH 
IN THE WAR OF 1812. 



The record of the early human occupation of the 
Red River Valley of the Noi'th is very incomplete and 
imperfect. It seems quite probable that from creation 
until a few hundred years ago it was not occupied at 
all by human beings, and its only denizens were the 
wild birds of the air, the wild beasts of the prairies 
and scanty forests, and the fishes of the lakes and 
streams. There are no signs of a remote settlement or 
other form of ancient civilization in the Valley. 

That very ancient and very mysterious race, which, 
for inability to coin a more suitable name, we call the 
Mound Builders, and which lived at one period in the 
southeastern part of the State, never dwelt, for any 
considerable time in the Red River Valley. At any 
rate, none of their mounds and tumuli, which invari- 
ably denote and prove their former presence, are 
found here. There are mounds but they were not 
built by the old Mound Builders. The so-called Red 
Indians were the first human occupants, but their oc- 
cupation was fugitive, unstable, and disconnected. 

It is true that there are mounds or tumuli within 
the present boundaries of Polk Countj', and that some 
authorities have pronounced these to be the work of 
the old Mound Builders; of course these authorities 
are of those that believe the Mound Builders were the 



immediate ancestors of the Red Indians. The princi- 
pal mound in the county is now within the limits of 
Crookston, and only three-fourths of a mile from the 
center of the city. It is on the south bank of the Red 
Lake River and 35 feet above the stream. 

In about 1890 Prof. Moore, then principal of the 
Crookston City Schools, and some of his pupils made 
excavations in this mound and found in it human 
bones, including skulls. From the reports made to the 
compiler of this examination it does not seem that any 
pottery, flint, stone, or copper implements, or any 
other reliable evidences of Mound Builder work or oc- 
cupation were found. These evidences certainly 
would have been unearthed had the old pre-historic 
race been the buildei-s. Their work and former sites 
of occupation are almost as readily determined as 
those of the ancient Greeks and Romans. 

In noting the Crookston mound Hon. William 
Watts plausibly suggests that it marks the site of the 
cemetery of an old-time Sioux village. This may be 
a correct theoiy, although we now know a great deal 
of the early and very early history of the Sioux, and 
we do not know that (at least within the proper time 
when skulls and other human bones would be pre- 
served for a long time in the earth) there was ever a 



17 



18 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF PObK COUNTY 



considerable Indian village at the site of Crookston. 
If the Sioux had such a \dllage, it must have been of 
the Sisseton band (Sissetonwaus, or People of the 
Marsh), because the Sissetons were later located not 
very far to the west or south; we know their early 
history fairly well, and we have no account of such a 
village in that part of the country. Possibly the 
mound may have been the burial place for a village of 
Cheyenne Indians, for we well know that they were 
in this quarter for several years before they were 
driven out by the Sioux and went into various parts 
of South Dakota and the southeastern part of North 
Dakota, and mainly upon the river which still bears 
their name as it is commonly pronounced. 

Both the Cheyennes and the Sioux built mounds 
over their dead; both tribes made and used pottery. 
But their mounds were simple sepulchres and their 
pottery was solely for domestic purposes. In 1680 
Father Hennepiu found the Sioux of Mille Lacs 
boiling their food in fire-proof earthen pots, which 
they had made. But neither tribe built large, high 
mounds, for temples of worship, for observation or 
watchtowers, and for the bui-ial places of their chiefs 
or kings, as the Mound Builders always did. Neither 
tribe made flint and stone implements, either arrow 
and lance heads or axes, spades, etc., and the Mound 
Builders constantl.v made these things. The Sioux, 
Cheyennes, and other Red Indians picked up the flint 
arrow points and lance-heads and used them (though 
many of them had come from quarries as far off as 
West Virginia), but they could not make them — and 
none of them ever Inieir ivho did! 

It is probable that the Crookston mound was made 
to cover the remains of their warriors slain in some 
pre-historic battle, in which the Sioux were the victors 
and had flie opportunity of decently interring their 
(lead. The Sioux often, and indeed almost commonly, 
raised a slight mound of earth over the .skeletons of 
their dead. If not slain in battle, their dead were sus- 
])ended in trees or ])laeed upon high scaffolds until the 
flesh was gone, and then the bones were taken down 
and buried. Sometimes the remains were buried in 



receptacles made in the banks of streams and coulees, 
and even in the big mounds made by their predeces- 
sors in the country, the Mound Builders. The idea 
probably was to honor the venerated remains and to 
preserve them from destruction or desecration. Many 
a modern Indian 's bones have been found in a Mound 
I'uildcr's sacrificial mound, and thus fairly .iustifying 
the belief that the mound itself was the work of 
modern Indians. 

There is a possibility that the great battle between 
the Sioux and the Chippewas described by Warren as 
having occurred on Sand Hill River, and mentioned 
on anotlier page, was really fought on the Red Lake 
River and that the Crookston mound is the grave of 
the Sioux warriors killed therein — as suggested on an- 
other page. But there is no positive evidence in sup- 
poi't of this suggestion, and Warren is clear in his 
statement that the battle was on the Sand Hill River. 
Tliere is no moiuid on the Sand Hill near the supposed 
site of the battle, although the Sioux held the field and 
had the opportunitj' to bury their dead properly ac- 
cording to their custom, with a heap of dirt raised 
over them. 

Prof. Winchell's "Aborigines of Minnesota" men- 
tions (p. 361) the Crookston mound and gives its 
dimensions, when he survej^ed it, in 1880, as "7 feet 
higli and 120 feet in diameter." The location is, how- 
ever, erroneously given as ' ' about two miles southwest 
from Crokston. " 

The "Aborigines" notes (p. 362) another mound 
in what is now Polk County, and which is described as 
having a diameter of .58 feet and a heiglit of four and 
a half feet. Its location is given as in township 148, ' 
range 45, not far from Melvin Station. 

The Sand Hill River mounds are also noted on page 
362 of "Aborigines." These are three small mounds, 
averaging about four feet high and 55 feet across, 
which are located in township 147, range 45, west of 
Fertile. It is difficult to tell without examination by 
digging into them whether these are natural or artifi- 
cial. There are numerous erroneous statements in 
"Aborigines" — 'typographical errors often — regard- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



19 



ing tliese mounds. Oue, now in Red Lake County is 
described (p. 362) as in "section 90," when section 9 
is meant. 

The absence of dense forests filled with deer and 
other game, and furnishing fuel and material for habi- 
tations, was one reason why the Red Indians avoided 
the Valley region. There was little other kind of 
country here save the big prairies, which were almost 
untraversable save by horseback, and these aborigines 
had no horses, and indeed never saw one ; since horses 
were not original to Minnesota, nor, indeed, indige- 
nous to the United States, but had to be introduced 
from Europe. The aborigines of the Red River Val- 
ley, with their flint arrow heads and lance heads, and 
traveling altogether on foot, had a difficult job to kill 
buffalo and deer. Their best and common mode of 
securing these animals was to creep upon them as they 
grazed in the high grass of a lowland, near a lake or 
river, and, suddenly bounding forth, stampede the 
herd and chase its members into the water, where they 
often came up with them and speared them to death. 
Farther westward the tribes were accustomed to chase 
the buffalos over high precipices. 

THE CREES WERE THE FIRST RED INDIANS. 

The identified Indians who first visited, and prob- 
ably lived at intervals, in the section of the Red 
River Valley no\v embraced within Polk County were 
the Crees. There were others before them, of course, 
but we do not know who they were or what to call 
them. The Crees were in this region, especially about 
Pembina, Lake Winnipeg, and the lower Valley, when 
the first white men came. The Jesuit Fathers men- 
tion them, in their "Relations" for the year 1640, as 
"dwelling on the rivers of the northern sea, [mean- 
ing Hudson's Bay] where the Nipissings go to trade 
with them." Lacombe, in his "Dictionary of the 
Cree Language," says that, according to their tradi- 
tions, the Crees — in, say about 1750 — "inhabited for 
a time the region about the Red River, intermingled 
with the Chippewas and Maskegons," but were at- 
tracted to the plains by the buffalo. The Maskegons 



were practically themselves Crees, being an offshoot 
of the tribe. They were often called the Swamp Crees, 
because Maskeg (or Muskeg) means a swamp. 

Many authorities regard the Crees as Chippewas. 
Their language is virtually a Chippewa dialect; their 
manners and customs are much alike; they too were 
a forest people, and finally they had a tradition that 
they were descendants of a band that in the long ago 
seceded from the Chippewas in northern Minnesota 
and went to dwell on Lake Cree. The Smithsonian 
Institution "Handbook" (1907) says: "The Crees are 
closely related, linguistically and otherwise, to the 
Chippewa. Prof. Hayden regarded them as an off- 
shoot of the latter and believed the Maskecons another 
division of the same group." Many bands of the 
Crees were nomads and were generally unsettled, 
their movements being governed largely by their food 
supply. In their wanderings they mingled with the 
Assiniboines, who were offshoots of the Sioux, and in- 
termarried with them and the old Chippewas from 
whom they had sprung. 

Father Belcourt, the good priest of Pembina, who 
lived so long with them on the Assiniboine, Saskatche- 
wan, and Red Rivers, says the Crees, in 1850, called 
themselves Ke-nish-ti-nak, meaning held by the winds. 
They lived long at Lake Winnipeg, whereon, when the 
winds blew hard, making the waves run high, they 
were checked by the winds and could not travel in 
their little frail canoes. Radisson, who, in 1659, either 
saw them or heard of them, says the Cree canoes were 
so small that they could not carry more than two 
persons. The name of the tribe was written by the 
French as Kri-stin-aux ; then it became Christenaux, 
Kilistinos, Kenistonas, etc., but the chief French 
form was Chris-ti-naux, which was pronounced Crees- 
te-nose; and the French finally contracted the word 
to Crees, as they contracted Naudowessioux to Sioux. 

Now, when the white traders of the Hudson's Bay 
Company came to the Lake Winnipeg region they 
found the Crees. The poor savages were overjoyed to 
meet men who could furnish them steel implements in 
exchange for (to them) such simple and easily-pro- 



20 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



cured things as beaver and other skins, buffalo robes, 
and various other kinds of furs and pelts. Many of 
them came up the Red River in their little boats, made 
villages in the groves along the river and its tribu- 
taries, and remained in the country a long time en- 
gaged in trapping and huntiug. The products of 
their efforts were sent down the river to the Hudson 's 
Bay fort on Lake Winnipeg, whioh post was for a long 
time called Fort Garrj-. The Hudson's Bay Fur Com- 
pany was chartered by King Charles II of England, 
"the Merry Monarch," May 2, 1670; but it was not 
until in 1799 that its agents took possession of the Red 
River proper and established trading posts in the 
rogion. 

Prior to the advent of the Hudson's Bay Company 
into their region, the Crees were practically savages 
of a very wild and unenlightened sort. Their slight 
contact with the Fi-ench did not improve them. In 
the Jesuit "Relations" of 1670-71 Father Dablon 
writes: "Finally the Kelistinos [a name for the Crees] 
are dispersed through the whole region to the north 
of this Lake Superior — possessing neither corn, nor 
fields, nor any fixed abode, but forever wandering 
through those vast forests and seeking a livelihood 
there by hunting." Their condition remained prac- 
tically unchanged until after the traders came. Then 
their women married many of the traders and their 
employes; the families thus created lived after civil- 
ized fashion, and in time the missionaries and 
school teachers came. 

The Crees were attacked by smallpox from time 
to time, and the tribe was greatly reduced by the rav- 
ages of this disease. They left Minnesota, as a whole, 
before 1820 and went up into Manitoba and other 
Canadian provinces. About 10,000 of them are now 
in Manitoba and about 5,000 elsewhere in northwest- 
ern Canada. They have always been a peaceful tribe, 
were never at war with their Algonquian neighbors, 
and left northern Minnesota rather than fight the 
Chippewas. In 1885, however, the mixed bloods of 
the tribes rose in rebellion against the Canadian au- 
thorities, because it was sought to remove them from 



their lands on the Saskatchewan to a more inhospitable 
region to the northward ; but in a little time their 
rebellion was subdued and their leader, Louis Riel, 
was executed by hanging, November 16, 1885. 

It is reasonably certain that, during the period they 
were in Minnesota, the Crees visited the country now 
called Polk County, and dwelt there from time to 
time. To be sure no particulars of their connection 
with the early history of the county can now be given. 
We can only assert that, as they were generally 
through northern Minnesota, and especially along the 
Red River, they must have been at intervals in Polk 
County. 

The Cheyenne Indians have a tradition that at one 
time they were settled upon Otter Tail Lake and Lake 
Traverse and were driven out by the Crees into the 
upper Minnesota River country, below Big Stone 
Lake. From the Minnesota Valley, fearing trouble 
with the Sioux, they removed into what is now South 
Dakota and North Dakota, many locating on the river 
bearing their name. 

THE CHIPPEWAS FOLLOWED THE CREES. 

Although the Chippewas and the Crees were kin- 
dred people, and of the same blood and lineage, they 
had separate tribal organizations and are always 
spoken of and referred to as two different nations or 
tribes. The word Chippewas is a corruption of Ojib- 
ways, by which name these Indians formerly called 
themselves, and which means "roast till puckered 
up," referring to their manner of cooking meat or of 
torturing their prisoners. They once lived about the 
Sault Ste. Marie. The early French often called 
them "Saulteurs, " v/liich is the equivalent, in old 
French, of Sauteurs in "Francaise moderue," mean- 
ing leapers or jumpers. Sault, which is pronounced so 
or soo, is an old French word meaning leap, and is 
not found in modern French vocabularies. Sault Ste. 
Marie, therefore, is literally in English, the Leap of 
Saint Mary. The Sioux called the Chippewas "Hkah- 
hkah Tonwau," or Waterfalls People, meaning the 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



21 



people of the Waterfalls of St. Mary. Hka-hkah 
meaning waterfalls and Tonwan meaning people. 

The Chippewas occupied the Red River country as 
the result of a war of conquest. About the beginning 
of the XVIII Century — probably between 1710 and 
1736 — they drove the Foxes from northern Wiscon- 
sin down to Iowa and Illinois and compelled them to 
confederate with the Sauks (or Sacs). Then, some 
time after 1736, they turned on the Sioux and drove 
them (first from Lake Superior and then from North- 
ern Minnesota generally) southward and westward 
down to the Minnesota and across the Mississippi and 
the Missouri. The Smithsonian Institution's "Hand- 
book of American Indians" (Vol. 1, p. 278) indicates 
that after driving away their enemies from northern 
Minnesota, the Chippewas continued their westward 
march into North Dakota until they occupied the head 
waters of the Red River and had a large band as far 
west as the Turtle Mountains, in the extreme northern 
section of North Dakota. 

It is alleged by the "Handbook" referred to (ibid) 
that one cause of the dispossession of the Sioux by 
the Chippewas was to obtain possession of the wild 
rice tracts about the numerous lakes and streams of 
northern Minnesota. For a long period the Sioux con- 
trolled the wild rice output of Minnesota and would 
not allow the Chippewas to gather it without a sort 
of tribute payment, and to this tribute the Chippewas 
vigorously objected. Warren (History of the jib- 
ways) and other authorities cite that the French trad- 
ers of the posts on Lake Superior furnished the Chip- 
pewas with fire-arms and then instigated them to 
attack and drive away the Sioux, because they sold 
their furs to the English traders of the Hudson's Bay 
Company, instead of to the French of the Lakes. It 
is probable that the real reason of the Chippewa at- 
tack was a double one — the instigation of the French 
and the desire to possess the wild rice beds. 

The Chippewas were largely dependent upon the 
wild rice for food. They called it mahnomen, and 
revered as a goddess the spirit that controlled it. 
When the Sioux occupied the Mille Lacs country, in 



Minnesota, the Chippewas had to travel many miles 
from their Lake Superior homes, and often to risk 
their lives, for the wild grain, which was virtually a 
staff of life for them. They still use large quantities 
of it. According to the report of the Bureau of 
American Ethnology for 1900 there were 10,000 Chip- 
pewas in the United States using wild rice for food. 
The Sioux, too, use it when they can get it. The de- 
cisive battle between the Sioux and the Chippewas for 
the ownership of the wild rice beds of Minnesota is 
believed by many to have occurred on the eastern 
shores of Mille Lac, at the supposed Sioux town of 
Kathio, in about 1750. (See Brower's "Kathio," p. 
92.) According to the estimate of Warren, himself a 
half-blood Chippewa, the battle occurred in 1657 
(Minn. Hist. Socy. Collections, Vol. V, p. 157, et 
seq. ) , a difference in dates of the two eminent authori- 
ties of 100 years. Warren further says, however (p. 
162), that, after being defeated at Kathio, the Sioux 
went down near the mouth of Rum River and did not 
finally leave the Mille Lacs region until 1770. 

SIOUX DRIVEN FROM THIEF RIVER. 

Practically ever after their advent into the country, 
the Chippewas continued to hold northwestern Min- 
nesota, including Polk County, against the Sioux. 
Warren's History of the Chippewas (p. 356) relates 
that, for a number of years after the Chippewa occu- 
pation, a camp of ten tepees of Sioux had their camp 
on the upper Thief River and succeeded in evading 
and escaping the guns and tomahawks of their heredi- 
tary enemies. The surrounding hunting grounds 
were so rich, and wild rice was so plentiful, that life 
was easily lived, and they were loth to leave the local- 
ity. They built a high embankment of earth around 
their camp and took every means in their power to 
conceal themselves from their merciless foes. In 
hunting they would not discharge their guns, because 
of the loud noise, but used their bows and arrows in 
killing game. 

At last they were discovered by their relentless ene- 
mies. The Crees and Assiniboines of the Pembina and 



t 



22 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COFNTY 



DeviFs Lake regions made a treaty with the Yanktou 
and Sisseton Sioux, and a short term of peace resulted. 
During the deliberations at this treaty, the Crees 
learned of the existence of the isolated Sioux band and 
the locality of its camp. When the peace period 
closed, some Crees gave the information to their Chip- 
pewa relatives, and the latter, from about Red Lake, 
soon raised a war party and marched upon the hid- 
den Sioux. A total surprise was made, and after a 
brave but unavailing defense, the ten lodges, and all 
their inmates, were totally destroyed. The embank- 
ment or breastwork of earth which once surrounded 
the little Sioux village was plain to be seen in 1852. 
Warren received his information of this affair from 
Wa-non-je-quon, then chief of Red Lake, whose father 
helped destroy the Sioux. 

From the hiding place and secret occupation of the 
Sioux on the little river, the Chippewas afterward 
called it Ke-moja-ke Se-be, or Secret Place River ; but 
the French traders and coureurs pronounced Kemoj 
a-ke as Ke mod a-ke, which means .stealing. Then the 
stream began to be called Stealing River and Thief 
River, and by the latter name it is laid down on 
Nicollet's map of 1842, and is still so called. 

THE INDIANS BATTLING FOR THE COXJNTEY. 

About 1808 (as near as can be conjectured) a band 
of Sioux defeated a larger band of Chippewas down 
on Long Prairie River, in Todd County. The Sioux 
were Sissetons and Wahpetons, from western Minne- 
sota and eastern South Dakota, and had come over to 
hunt on their former rich game preserve. The Chip- 
pewas were on the way to attack the Sioux on Rice 
River. The fight lasted all day and was very fierce 
and bloody. At the close only seven unhurt Sioux 
were left, but they were enough to drive back the 
Chippewas, because they had gun.s, furnished them 
by the Hudson's Bay Company's traders on the Red 
River. The Chippewas also had some guns, but each 
party used bows and arrows in addition to their fire- 
arms. The Chippewas captured 36 horses (or ponies), 
but could not learn to manage them, and, after many 



of them had been crippled by kicks and falls, they 
finally slaughtered every pony and devoured them. 
Old Hole-iu-the-Day, then a young man, and his elder 
brother. Strong Ground, were among the leaders of 
the Chippewas in this battle. 

SIOUX DEFEATED AT PEMBINA. 

The same day on which the battle at Long Prairie 
was fought a large Sioux war party of Sissetons, Wah- 
petons, and Yanktons attacked the Chippewa villages 
near Pembina, whose chief was Little Clam. They 
were defeated with considerable loss and chased back i 
up the Red River. (Wan-en, p. 354.) As a result of ' 
their defeat on this and other occasions in the same 
period, the Sioux were forced to retreat to the west- 
ward of the Red and Mississippi Rivers and south of 
the Shayenne. Then, for an indcfuiitely long period, 
in order to control the beaver dams and the buffalo 
preserves of the Red River, there was war between 
the Chippewas and the Sioux, from the Selkirk Set- 
tlement to Big Stone Lake and the headwaters of the 
Minnesota. The Assiniboines and Crees were allies of 
the Sioux in this war. It was during the early years 
when they made the short peace with the Sioux re- 
ferred to, and upon its termination when they be- 
trayed to the Chippewas the existence and site of the 
little Sioux band on Thief River. 

TREACHERY AND TREATIES. 

The year after the battle on the Long Prairie Riv(>r, 
or about 1819, the Sioux along the whole line of the 
eastern frontiers became tired of fighting the Chippe- 
was in open field and sought to defeat them by secret 
action involving the foulest treachery, even from the 
Indian point of view, which considers everythiTig fair 
in war. They made an extraordinary and apparently 
sincere attempt to enter into a general and permanent 
peace with the Chippewas. Chah-pah (or the 
Beaver), head chief of the Yankton, or Yanktonnais 
Sioux, who were then about Lake Traverse, had a 
Chippewa woman for one of his wives. He put her 
on a good horse, gave her his peace pipe, and bade 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



23 



her go to her former people at Pembina and tell them 
that, in a week or more, he would come to them with a 
large delegation of Sioux and smoke with them the 
pipe of profound peace and good will. At the ap- 
pointed time the Sioux chief, with a large number of 
his people, arrived at Pembina, and the Red River 
Chippewas heartily accepted his offers of peace and 
friendship. 

At the same time the Sisseton, Wahpeton, some 
Yanktous, and a large number of Medawakanton 
Sioux, met the Mississippi, the Sandy Lake, and the 
Mille Lacs Chippewas in a treaty on the Platte River, 
near its junction with the Mississippi, and ten miles 
south of the present town of Little Falls. The peace 
pipe was smoked by these former foes, and games of 
various kinds were played by the young men of the 
two tribes. For some time all went merrily, friendly, 
and well. 

But a certain Medawakanton Sioux was one of the 
seven survivors that fought ofif the Chippewas in the 
Long Prairie battle. He had not forgotten nor for- 
given. He picked a quarrel with a Chippewa warrior 
and struck him with a ball stick. The blow was re- 
turned and a general fight would have resulted had 
not young Wah-nah-tah (the Charger), a son of Chief 
Chah-pah, rushed in, forcibly separated the combat- 
ants, and chastised the offending Sioux. He feared 
that the Chippewas would become suspicious that the 
apparent friendly intentions of the Sioux were not 
real, and they certainly were not. The intent was to 
cause the Chippewas to be off their guard, and then 
the Sioux would fall upon them and either extermi- 
nate them or drive them from the country. The end 
would justify the means. 

FLAT MOUTH THWARTS THE BEAVER 's TREACHERY AND 
HAS HIM KILLED. 

But while the peace councils were being held above 
and below him, Flat Mouth, chief of the Pillager band 
of Chippewas, about Leech Lake, did not attend them. 
He quietly but industriously hunted beaver on the 
Long Prairie River. The peace pipe had been sent 



him, but he refused it. He said the Sioux were not in 
earnest in their professions of peace so soon after their 
bloody battle on the Long Prairie. He said he knew 
the Sioux character, and felt sure that they were in- 
sincere in their protestations of desire for a future 
permanent peace between the two tribes. 

Heading twenty or more of his band, Flat Mouth, 
in the fall (of 1819?), went to Otter Tail Lake with 
his beaver traps and canoes. But he and his men took 
their guns with them and kept their powder dry. At 
the outlet of Otter Tail Creek, one evening, the chief 
became impressed with a sense of danger. He had his 
bark canoe (which he had brought up the Crow Wing 
to the Otter Tail portage and then across to the lake) 
and, fearing to go to sleep on the shore, he embarked 
himself and family in the boat and passed the night 
on the lake. The next morning he discovered the trail 
of a war party of apparently 400 Sioux. They had 
been at the site of his camp of the previous evening 
and had gone in the direction of Battle Lake. From 
a rude drawing on a blazed tree. Flat Mouth deter- 
mined that one of the Sioux leaders was Chahpah, 
the chief of the Yanktons. 

There were no Chippewas at Battle Lake, south of 
Otter Tail, but at the Leaf Lakes, to the eastward, 
there were quite a number. Working his canoe 
through the chain of lakes with their links of streams, 
like a great rosary of water, Flat Mouth reached 
Leaf Lakes and sounded the alarm. That morning 
two of his cousins were killed and their bodies muti- 
lated by the Sioux, but in the fight they killed three 
of their enemies and wounded many others. The 
Sioux soon learned that their plan had failed, because 
the Chippewas had discovered it and were fully 
aroused. At once they hurried southward, back and 
away from the Chippewa country, and soon were in 
their villages, near the sources of the Minnesota and 
Red Rivers. 

Flat Mouth repaired to his village and sent his war- 
pipe and war club by fleet messengers from band to 
band, informing his people that he was going on the 
war path against the Sioux and wanted their help. It 



2i 



COMPENDIUJI OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



was as in the days of Roderick Dhu, when he was 
wont to send the fiery cross among his clansmen to 
rouse them to war. The Chippewas were soon ready 
to march down against the Yanktons at Lake Traverse. 
But meanwhile Chahpah had reached home, and 
alarmed at the discovery of his treachery, again sought 
to make peace with the Chippewas. He induced his 
white brother-in-law, Col. Robert Dickson, "the red- 
headed Scotchman," to act as mediator. Col. Dick- 
son's wife was Chahpah 's sister. 

At the Beaver's request, the Colonel sent a swift 
courier to Flat Mouth with a message from the Sioux 
chief denying all participation in the late war party 
of his people, and especially denying that any of his 
warriors had killed the two cousins of Flat Mouth. 
He also invited the Chippewas to meet him in another 
peace council at Col. Dickson's trading post, which 
was on the Minnesota side of the Red River, at or near 
"La Grande Fourche," (the Grand Forks) for the 
purpose of smoking the peace pipe and re-establishing 
and strengthening good will between their respective 
people. Flat Mouth accepted the invitation and, tak- 
ing 30 of his best warriors with him, set out for the 
Grand Forks. He arrived in due time at Dickson's 
trading post, where he found four Frenchmen in 
charge of the establishment. Col. Dickson being ab- 
sent. On the next day Chahpah arrived, but with 
only two of his Yanktonnais as a body guard. 

Flat Mouth refused to smoke the peace pipe with 
Chahpah, and the Sioux chief then realized that his 
treachery had become fully known and was to be pun- 
ished. He was undismayed, however, and told his 
sisfter, Mrs. Dickson, that if he had to die he would 
go like a "brave Dakota." That night it rained heav- 
ily and the thunder roared, but amid the tumult the 
Chippewas could hear the death song of Chahpah as 
he chanted it amid the gloomy surroundings in the 
trading house of his brother-in-law. The Chippewa 
warriors wanted to kill him and his companions out 
of hand, but Flat Mouth forbade them. He said they 
might kill the Sioux, but must not "shed blood on 
the steps of these white men, nor in their presence." 



Then he added : ' ' You know my heart has been sore 
since the death of my cousins, but though their mur- 
derers deserve death I do not wish to see them killed. 
Though it is my doing, I shall not be with you. ' ' 

The next morning early Flat Mouth departed for 
Gull Lake, and the three Sioux, brave to the last, set 
out for Lake Traverse, guarded by the Chippewa war- 
riors, who had murder in their hearts and eyes, as 
an escort. Out on the prairie the escort shot the hap- 
less and helpless chief and his companions, took their 
scalps, cut off their heads, and ran swiftly with the 
bloody trophies until they caught up with Chief Flat 
Mouth. Sha-wa-ke-shig, who was F'lat Mouth's head 
warrior, killed Chahpah and took his scalp. The 
chief's American medal, which he wore conspicuously 
on his breast, was taken by Wash-kin-e-ka, or Crooked 
Arm, a Red Lake warrior. This incident occurred in 
Polk County, perhaps a mile below the present site of 
East Grand Forks. 

COL. ROBERT DICKSON, THE TRADER, PROTESTS 
THE MURDER. 

Colonel Dickson was greatly exasperated when he 
learned of the killing and the mutilation of his In- 
dian brother-in-law. He sent word to Flat Mouth 
that thenceforth the smoke of a white man's trading 
house would never more rise toward the sky from the 
camp of a Pillager band of Chippewas. The Pillager 
chief laughed at the threats, and afterwards, in relat- 
ing the story to Warren, he said that the traders con- 
tinued to visit and trade with him as usual, and that 
his village continued to grow larger, "notwithstand- 
ing the words of the red-headed Scotchman." But 
these traders were not the agents of Col. Dickson, who 
refused to trade with the Pillager chief and injured 
him in every way he could. Perhaps his treatment of 
the chief in this respect alienated Flat Mouth from the 
British interest and conduced to strengthen his predi- 
lections toward the Americans. 

During the AVar of 1812 Col. Dickson was the prin- 
cipal agent of the British in Minnesota. He recruited 
scores of Indians from the Sioux and Chippewas and 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



25 



sent them to fight against the Americans. Some of 
these red mercenaries served with the British Army 
as far to the eastward as in northern Ohio. But Chief 
Flat Mouth remained firm in his friendship toward the 
Americans, although he knew but little about them; 
he persistently refused to fight them in aid of the 
British, and was true to the pi'omises he made Lieuten- 
ant Pike in the council of Leech Lake, February 16, 
1806. Dickson sent the French Canadian, St. Ger- 
main, from Fort William to Leech Lake, and made 
rich presents to Flat Mouth to induce him to lead the 
Pillager band into the British camps, but Flat Jlouth 
sent back the wampum belts, etc., with this message : 
"When I go to war against my enemies, I do not call 
upon the whites to join my warriors. The white peo- 
ple are quarreling among themselves, and I do not 
wish to meddle in their quarrels. I do not intend to 
ever strike a white man or even break a window in his 
house." (Warren, p. 369.) 

THE SIOUX SWEAR VENGEANCE AGAINST THE CHIPPEWAS. 

The Yanktonnais received the news of the killing 
of their chief with horror and indignation, and swore 
vengeance against every living Chippewa thing. The 
Beaver (or Chahpah) was succeeded by his sou Wali- 
nah-tah (or the Charger), previously mentioned, and 
who became one of the most influential and celebrated 
warriors and chieftains of the great Sioux nation. He 
was so celebrated and well known among the whites 
that his name was given to one of the original coun- 
ties of Minnesota Territory, in 1849. Wahnatah 
County was about 60 miles wide from north to south, 
and extended from the mouths of the Crow Wing and 
the Clearwater westward to the Missouri. During his 
military career the great chief amply revenged the 
death of his father by repeatedly striking bloody blows 
upon the Chippewas of the Red River. 

After the killing of the Beaver, active warfare was 

renewed between the Sioux and the Red River Valley 

Chippe"was. Less than a month after the tragedy, 

Wah-nah-tah started from Lake Traverse, with a 

large party of Sioux warriors, to go into the Chippewa 
2 



country at and about Red Lake. At the same time, 
a body of Chippewas, headed by Chief Wash-ta-do-ga- 
wub, started southward to attack the Sioux at Lakes 
Traverse and Big Stone. They were largely Red 
Lakers, although Flat Mouth aud a detachment of 
his band were with the party. 

Nearly opposite the mouth of Goose River, orig- 
inally called by the French, ' ' la Riviere Outarde, ' ' or 
the River of the Canada Goose, in what is now the 
southwest corner of Polk County, a little north of 
Neilsville, the two armies met. Two of the Chippewa 
scouts, in advance of the main force, were suddenly 
fired upon by the Sioux and one of them was killed. 
The Sioux then rushed forward and a bloody fight 
ensued. The Chippewas were taken somewhat un- 
awares and the Sioux pushed them back to Sand 
River,* after a series of stubbornly contested en- 
counters. The Chippewas "dug themselves in" at the 
little river by letting themselves down behind its south 
bank and by digging rifle-pits and improvised breast- 
works. The battle lasted till dark, when the Chip- 
pewas, believing that they had the worse of the fight, 
crossed the Sand River to the north and hastened to- 
ward their wigwams. They carried their badly 
wounded along and threw the bodies of their dead 
into the river, to prevent them from being scalped and 
otherwise mutilated. One Chippewa warrior, named 
Black Duck, particularly distinguished himself by 



* It is possible that the stream here mentioned as the Sand 
Eiver should really be called the Red Lake River, and that the 
battle took place at the present site of the City of Crookston. 
It may be that the mound on the south bank of the Red Lake, 
about three-fourths of a mile from the center of the city, marks 
the site of the burial place of the Sioux that were killed in 
the action. The bones found by Prof. Moore and his scholars 
in this mound about 25 years ago may have been those of Wah- 
nah-tah 's slain warriors; they could not have been those of 
Mound Builders. After the Chippewas retreated the Sioux may 
have gathered up their dead in a group and heaped the earth 
over them, as was frequently their custom in finally disposing 
of their dead. 

The data which warrants the assertion that the battle was 
at Sand River is reasonably clear, but yet there have been no 
tangible evidences of a deadly conflict there. And if the bones 
disinterred by Prof. Moore at Crookston were not relics of a 
battlefield, what were they? True, we have no account, and 
not even a legend, of an Indian battle at the Crookston mound, 
but many a battle between aboriginal tribes has been unre- 
corded and its victims gone "unhonored and unsung." — Com- 
piler. 



26 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



killing and scalping seven Sioux, lie was a Red 
Laker and liis name was given to tlie lake on wliieh 
he lived, and whieh is a dozen miles south of Red 
Lake and is the source of Black Duck River. In recent 
years a railroad station on the Minnesota & Interna- 
tional was established near the lake and a town laid 
out called Black Duck. The Sioux, too, retreated dur- 
ing the night, and thus there was a military spectacle, 
often seen where white men's armies were the actors, 
of two hostile forces running away from each other 
after a battle. The Sioux soon returned and cared 
for their dead and sent scouts after the Chippewas 
without results. 

It would not be practicable to detail all of the bat- 
tles and other hostile and sanguinary encounters be- 
tween the Chippewas and the Sioux while they were 
fighting for the control of the Red River Valley and 
the rest of the country embraced within the northern 
part of Minnesota. The narration of these incidents 
which occurred in other counties belongs in the his- 
tories of those counties. Except those here mentioned, 
it must be said regarding the old Indian fights which 
took place in what is now Polk County, that no reliable 
data regarding them can be found by the present 
writer. Plenty of mention is made of fights and hos- 
tile campaigns made in the valley bj- the two tribes, 
but no dates can be fixed when they occurred, and no 
localities determined; nor can it be stated positively 
and under conviction that these affairs took place with- 
in Polk County, and therefore belong solely to this 
history. Doubtless there was many an Indian fight 
in Polk County which will never be noted. Yet the 
history of the county will not sutfer by such an omis- 
sion, for, really, three-fourths of the fights between 
hostile bands of the Sioux and the Chippewas in Min- 
nesota were inconsequential, and of no more impor- 
tance than the combats between packs of ravenous 
wolves on the prairies in the days long gone by. The 
incidents here narrated are derived, in by far the 
greater part, from Warren's History of the Minnesota 
Chippewas; and Warren's presentations are based 
upon the statements made to him by the renowned 



Chippewa chieftain and warrior, Esh-ke-bug-e-coshe, 
or Flat Mouth. 

AN OLD-TIME INDI.\N BATTLE ON RED LAKE. 

It may be well, however, to give one tradition of a 
great Sioux-Chippewa battle which is said to have 
occurred at some time between 1785 and 1800 on the 
east side of Upper Red Lake. There is no written rec- 
ord of the affair that the compiler can find; and the 
only evidence that there was such an affair is the 
testimony of Indians or mixed bloods long since dead, 
and such testimony is almost altogether legendary or 
traditional. And yet this evidence is not to be alto- 
gether disregarded or despised, when the character of 
the testimony and of those delivering it is considered. 
Writing to the compiler under date of January 8, 
1916, Hon. Wm. Watts, than whom there is no one 
more interested in or a better authority upon early 
Polk County history, says: 

"After being driven from this part of the Red River 
Valley, the Sioux made several attempts to recover it, 
until they were finally defeated in a great battle by 
the Chippewas on the east side of Upper Red Lake. 
I have never seen a description of that battle. • • * 

"I do not think this was a battle identical with 
that described as taking place on Thief River when 
the Sioux band hid themselves, etc. Battle River, 
whieh flows into Upper Red Lake from the east, is 
said to get its name from being near or on the site 
of this battle. I have heard it frequently spoken of, 
but cannot get anything like a definite description 
of it. 

"According to what I have heard it was fought 
about 125 years ago, and was the last great battle be- 
tween the two tribes in northwestern Minnesota. I 
have heard that Pierre Bottineau frequently told of 
what he had learned about it from pai-ticipants. The 
story is that it was a very bloody battle and that the 
Chippewas were victorious. I think Paul Beaulieu, 
of Mahnomen, Minn., would be able to give the tradi- 
tionary account. The father of Jloose Dung, the lat- 
ter a signer of the 'Old Crossing treaty' of 1863, 
was one of the Chippewa chiefs engaged in the bat- 
tle, and Moose Dung often told what he had heard 
about it." 

Neither Warren's History of the Chippewas nor 
Prof. Winchell's "Aborigines of IMinnesota," both ex- 
cellent authorities on the wars and feuds of the two 
tribes, make any reference whatever to the alleged 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



27 



old-tiiue battle on the Upper Red Lake. And yet 
there may have been such a battle, and certain of the 
mounds found on Red Lake may be the sepulchres of 
some of the Sioux warriors slain in the conflict. 

THE CHIPPEWAS FINALLY HOLD THE COUNTRY. 

In the end the Chippewas remained in control of 
the country, although in many instances this control 
was disputed and disturbed. War parties of Sioux 
came up into the Chippewa country on forays and 
warlike excursions, at intei'vals, until 1863. The Chip- 
pewas raided the Sioux during the same period. De- 
tachments from the eastern band at Pokegama and 
the St. Croix raided Little Crow's band near St. Paul 
in the spring of 1842, and in April, 1853, attacked and 
killed fugitive members of the same band fairly in the 
streets of the Capital City. In May, 1858, Chippewas 
from the Mille Lacs and Gull Lake bands went down 
and attacked the Sioux village of Chief Shakopee, on 
the lower Minnesota, and at the town bearing his name, 
but were defeated with a loss of 20 killed, and 
wounded. 

THE TWO TRIBES FIGHT UNTIL THE SIOUX OUTBREAK. 

August 15, 1862, only a very few days before the 
great Sioux Outbreak, some Red Lake Chippewas 
slipped down to near Red Iron's village, on the Min- 
nesota, not far from the Yellow Medicine Agency, and 
killed a Sioux man and his son and got away with 
their scalps. The 20th of July a detachment of the 
same band, presumably, had shot and killed two Sioux 
within 18 miles of Yellow Medicine; while in May 
a hunting party of R^d Iron's band was attacked on 
the upper Pomme de Terre b}' a band of Chippewas 
(presumably Red Lakers) and chased out of the couu- 
tiy, losing two men killed. 

The bodies of the Sioux man and his son that were 



killed in August were taken to their village and ex- 
posed in the street and thus lay in state, as it were, 
for two days. At last a war party of 25 was made up 
to go northward to the Chippewa country and avenge 
the killing. All but three of the party (who were 
Yauktonnais) were of the Wahpeton band of Sioux 
and the leader was Eta-zha-zha, or Gleaming Face, 
who, under the Christian name of Lot, died at Sisse- 
ton. South Dakota, only a few years since. In 1901, 
before a commission that was investigating the conduct 
of the Sisseton Sioux during the great Outbreak, Lot 
testified to the foregoing facts, and further stated that 
the Sioux were absent from their villages about two 
weeks, during which time they were mainly in the 
Otter Tail Lake region. AVhen they had returned to 
Iheir own country, they found, to their amazement and 
distress, that during their absence a great and bloody 
outbreak had been made against the whites. (Minn, 
in Three Cents., Vol. 3, p. 288.) 

Certain careless or reckless writers on Minnesota 
history have asserted that the great Sioux Outbreak 
of 1862 was the eifect of a long meditated and care- 
fully planned movement of the Sioux and Chippewas 
in combination ; that Little Crow and other chiefs for 
the Sioux, and Hole-in-the-Day and other leaders for 
the Chippewas, had been in constant communication 
and engaged in preparing for the uprising long before 
it occurred, etc. These assertions are wholly false. 
The two tribes hated each other too viciously and im- 
placably ever to found a friendly alliance for any pur- 
pose. The tragic incidents mentioned, and others that 
might be given, show that these long-time foes con- 
tinued to fight one another up to the very date of the 
Outbreak and prove the utter falsity of the claim that 
they ever were engaged as allies in plotting against the 
whites. 



CHAPTER III. 
THE FIRST WHITE MEN IN POLK COUNTY. 

THE NORSEMEN WHO MADE THE KENSINGTON RUNE STONE WERE FIRST — THE EARLY WHITE EXPLORERS OTHER 

FIRST VISITORS TO MINNESOTA — THE LA VERENDRYES DISCOVER THE RED RIVER VALLEY — FIRST PRINTED DESCRIP- 
TION OF THE REGION BY A CHIPPEWA HALF BREED — RED LAKE NAMED "FROM THE COLOUR OF THE SANd" 

NOT MANY OTHER EARLY EXPLORERS. 

It is always interesting to every citizen to learn (so a stone with an inseription to this effect. This stone 
as to l)eliove') the facts connected with the early his- has come to he known as the Kensington Rune Stone, 
tory of his country. Among the items composing these hecause it was found near the village of Kensington, a 
facts one of those of rarest interest is the identity of station on the Soo Railroad, in the southwestern por- 
the first Caucasians or white men to visit his district tion of Douglas County, and because the inscription 
or locality. Sometimes this may be ascertained with on it is in the ancient Riuiic dialect. The stone was 
accuracy; but generally, especially in Minnesota, the found on the farm of Olaf Ohman, three miles north- 
information is impossible to secure beyond and with- cast of Kensington, November 8, 1898, by himself and 
out a reasonable doubt. The present writer is unable liis two j'oung sons. Nils Olaf Flaaten, owner of an 
to assert positively, and to furnish proof of the asser- adjoining farm, was present immediately after the 
tion, who were the first white men to visit the dis- finding. All the parties are Swedes, and though plain 
triet of country now comprised within the boundaries people, in modest circumstances, are honest, upright, 
of Polk County. He can only furnish certain infor- and highly esteemed citizens. None of them have 
mation on the subject, all that is readily accessible, any other than a primary education, 
and let every intelligent reader pass upon the ques- The stone was thoroughly discussed and examined 
tion and decide it for himself. by several Scandinavian and otlier archaeologists and 

scientists, and carried back and forth for two or three 

WERE NORSEMEN HERE IX A. D. 1362? ^.^^^.^^ g„i„„ j,, ij)|i ^^ ^^^^^^^ p^.^^^p j^ j,, ^g,,. j„ 

It is fairly probable that the first white men that the custody of Mr. Iljalmer Rued Holaud of Madi- 
visited and traveled over the soil of Polk County were son, "Wisconsin, who obtained it in 1907 from Mr. 
32 Norsemen, who came some time in A. D. 1362. If Ohman, the finder. Mr. Holand has spent much time 
they were here at that time, they probably came from and money and made extensive research in his inves- 
the very early Norse Colony of "Vinland" which is tigation of this tablet and is thoroughly enthusiastic 
said to have been on the northeastern Atlantic coast in his belief that it is genuine. This opinion is firmly 
in what is now the State of Maine, or either of the held by a large majority of the experts that have ex- 
Provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, or New- amined it. Those who doubt its authenticity do so on 
foundland. seemingly insufficient gi'ounds. The strongest argu- 

The evidence that these men were here, or at least ment in its favor is the stone itself, which is of the 

somewhere in this portion of the Red River Valley, is variety that geologists call graywacke, which is 

28 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



29 



abundant in the locality where the stone was found. 
The whole subject is well presented in 66 pages of 
Volume XV of the Minnesota Historical Society Col- 
lections, and in Castle's recently published State His- 
tory. 

An English translation of the inscription reads : 

"Eight Goths and twenty-two Norwegians upon a 
journey of discovery from Vinland westward. We 
had a camp by two skerries one day's journey north 
from this stone. We were out fishing one day. When 
we returned home we found ten men red with blood 
and dead. Hail, Virgin Mary, save us from evil. 

"Have ten men by the sea to look after our vessel 
14 (or 41) days' journey from this island. Year 
1362." 

The term Goths means Swedes, because they were 
from Gothland, in the southern part of Sweden. The 
characters on the stone translated "Hail, Virgin 
Mary" are the equivalents of A. V. M., meaning in 
Latin, "Ave, Virgo Maria." It is uncertain whether 
or not the characters translated 14 should be 41, as 
some Runic writers put the figure denoting units be- 
fore the figure denoting tens; the custom varied at 
different times and in different countries. 

Assuming the genuineness of the stone, the author- 
ship of tlie inscription may be determined with reason- 
able probability. The party, con.sisting of at least 
40 persons, had set out from Vinland on an expedi- 
tion of exploration and discovery. Uuiformlj' a priest 
accompanied such an expedition as its chaplain, and 
at that period, and for 200 years thereafter, all Chris- 
tians were Roman Catholics. In this instance the 
priest of the ill-fated party was, it may be presumed, 
a Runic scholar. The other members doubtless were 
illiterate. To record the tragic incident of the kill- 
ing of ten of their number and the fact of their pres- 
ence and condition in the country, for the benefit of 
civilized people that might come after them, the stone 
was prepared and inscribed. Probably the priest 
drew the Runic characters on the stone and a proper 
artificer cut them out. The priest would almost 
naturally offer a prayer to the Blessed Virgin for 
protection and preservation of the survivors from the 



fate of their comrades whom they had found "red 
with blood and dead. ' ' 

The theory of those believing in the genuineness of 
the Kensington Rune Stone and in the authenticity of 
its inscription may be here stated. It is believed that 
the starting point of the expedition was, as the inscrip- 
tion says, in Vinland (or Wineland) the Scandinavian 
Colony on the eastern coast of America. Although 
unchallenged records prove that there was such a col- 
ony between the XI and the XJV Centuries, its exact 
location has never been determined. It may have been 
in Nova Scotia or New Brunswick or Maine or Massa- 
chusetts. It is supposed to have been founded by Leif 
Erickson, in about A. D. 1000. The records also prove 
that this colony sent out numerous exploring expedi- 
tions. 

It is further believed that the expedition left Vin- 
land in a ship of the prevailing character of the period 
and sailed successively through Davis Straits, Hud- 
sou's Strait and across Hudson's Bay to the mouth 
of the Nelson River. Here the ship was left in charge 
of ten men, as the inscription states, and the remain- 
der of the party, including the priest, ascended Nel- 
son River in smaller boats to Lake Winnipeg. Pass- 
ing through the lake, they ascended the Red River, 
probably to the Grand Porks. Here, for some reason 
— perhaps on account of low water — they left the 
stream and marched overland in a southeasterly direc- 
tion, through what are now Polk, Norman, or Mahno- 
men, Becker, and Otter Tail Counties, and then into 
Douglas, where the ten men were killed and where 
the stone was found. 

What finally became of the party can now never be 
known. It is barely possible that it, or the most of 
its members, succeeded in returning to Vinland ; it is 
more probable, however, that all perished under the 
stone weapons of the savages of the country that killed 
the ten men in the camp by the two skerries (or big 
rocks in the water) of the lake now believed to be 
Pelican Lake. These savages may not have been the 
ancestors of the Red Indians of modern centuries ; for 
there is a belief that the ancestors of these Indians are 



30 



COMPENDIUJi: OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



not the barbarians that drove away the Mound 
Builders. 

If the Kensington Rune Stone be genuine, it can be 
readily accepted that the members of the party that 
made it were the first Caucasians or white men to visit 
and tread upon the soil of what is now Polk County. 
For they must have come up the Red River from Win- 
nipeg in boats or canoes, since they could hardly have 
proceeded on foot through the swampy valley vrith its 
rank vegetation ; and they must have struck out over- 
land when the navigation of the river further south- 
ward became impracticable, which would be at the 
mouth of the Red Lake River, or "the Grand Forks" 
of the olden time. 

All depends upon whether the stone is genuine or 
not. And at present a very large majority of those 
that may be considered authorities on the subject are 
of the decided opinion that it is what it purports to be, 
and that it is in no respect a fake or fraudulent. The 
latest history of Minnesota which is by the accom- 
plished and conservative Capt. Henry A. Castle, gives 
it full endorsement. 

THE EARLIEST WHITE EXPLORERS. 

Following the party of Scandinavians that made 
and left the Rune Stone in Douglas County— assum- 
ing that there was such a party— the next Caucasians 
to visit the region of what is now northwestern Min- 
nesota, including Polk County, came in perhaps be- 
tween the years 1655 and 1660. These were the two 
French adventurers, Radisson and Groseilliers. It is 
not certain through what portions of northwestern 
Minnesota they passed, if indeed they passed through 
any. Warren Upham (Minn, in Three Cents., Vol. 1, 
p. 274) says that their journeys extended into the 
present area of Minnesota, ' ' but not, as I think to its 
western or northern boundaries." Yet the accom- 
plished George Bryce, in his History of the Hudson's 
Bay Company, (p. 6) states: "They visited the coun- 
try of the Sioux, the present states of Dakota, and 
promised to visit the Christinos (or Crees) on their 
side of a lake evidently either the Lake of the Woods 
or Lake Winnipeg." 



Radisson left a "journal," written in English, 
which has been printed, and this is substantially the 
authority of all historians and writers for their asser- 
tions concerning the two unscrupulous adventurers. 
But the statements of Radisson in the "journal" of 
his alleged travels and adventures is confusing rather 
than enlightening. It is not certain where or when 
they went, what rivers or lakes they saw, or what peo- 
ple they met. No two writers agree on these points. 
Bryce and Upham disagree as to whether or not they 
visited western Minnesota and the Dakotas, and Bryce 
can be no more definite about a certain lake they 
reached than to say it was either Lake of the Woods 
or Lake Winnipeg, which are 100 miles apart. The 
"journal" says thej' passed fourteen months on "an 
island," and Blakely, writing in the Minnesota His- 
torical Collections, saj's this "island" was in a lake 
on the northern boundary of Minnesota, while War- 
ren Upham says it was in the Mississippi, near Red 
Wing. 

It is certain that Groseilliers and Radi.sson were in 
the Lake Superior region and in the service of the 
Hudson 's Bay Company, but it is hardly possible that 
they ever saw northern Minnesota, or any part of what 
is now Polk County. 

OTHER E.VRLY VISITORS TO MINNESOTA. 

After Groseilliers and Radisson, the first Europeans 
to come to Minnesota were some other French traders 
and adventurers, whose leader was Daniel Greysolon 
Du Luth, for whom the present city of Duluth was 
named. These people came first in 1679 to northwest- 
ern Minnesota, below Duluth. Du Luth claimed that 
he went that year to the great Sioux village on the 
largest of the Mille Lacs, but this can hardly be be- 
lieved. He was there the following year, however. 

For in the spring of 1680 came Father Louis Henne- 
pin, a Belgian Franciscan priest, and two Frenchmen 
named Accault and Auguelle to the Mille Lacs as pris- 
oners of the Sioux. They were coming up the Mis- 
sissippi in a canoe, when met by a Sioux war party at 
Rock Island, made prisoners and taken back to the 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



31 



villages of their captors. The following July they 
were released and started with a large Sioux hunting 
party down the river. Below the mouth of the St. 
Croix they met Du Luth and his party and returned 
with them and the Indians to Mille Lacs, where they 
arrived August 14. Here they remained until the end 
of September, when they set out in canoes for Can- 
ada. They passed down the Rum and the Mississippi 
to the Wisconsin and then up that river and on to 
Green Bay, where was a large French trading post. 
Neither Du Luth or Father Hennepin ever saw the 
Red River Valley. 

Subsequent white explorers, traders, and visitors to 
Minnesota — Capt. Perrot, Pierre La Sueur, and a few 
others — confined their investigations and operations to 
the southeastern part of what is now Minnesota and 
never visited the Red River Valley. They do not 
seem even to have gone very far up the Minnesota or 
the Mississippi. Le Sueur went up to the Blue Earth 
and a few miles xip that stream, where he said he 
found extensive copper mines and took 30,000 pounds 
of their ore to France. He also said he had but 32 
men, yet for a winter's meat supply he and his men 
killed 400 buffaloes. Of the buffalo meat so furnished, 
he and his chronicler, M. Penicaut, said that the party 
ate on an average six pounds a day, besides drinking 
four bowls of broth and that this diet "made us very 
fat, and there was then no more sickness among us." 

Every one is at liberty to believe as much or as lit- 
tle of these portions of Le Sueur's reports as he 
pleases. If there was ever any copper ore on the Blue 
Earth River, Le Sueur must have taken it all away, 
for none has ever been found there since, although it 
has been diligently and thoroughly sought for. Le 
Sueur also claimed that he ascended the Mississippi 
"a hundred leagues" above the Falls of St. Anthony, 
which would have taken him up into Manitoba, al- 
though he says he went only within "ten days' jour- 
ney, ' ' or 250 miles, from the source of the great river. 
Had Le Sueur visited the Red River Valley, which he 
■did not, what wonderful reports he might have made ! 

It is an unpleasant fact that nearly all of the earli- 



est white visitors and explorers in Minnesota have 
given us incorrect, erroneous, misleading, and even 
knowingly false statements of their adventures and 
of conditions in the country. Father Hennepin made 
no mischievous or hurtful statements, but even he 
wrote that, a little above where Fort Snelling now 
stands, he killed a snake "as big around as a man's 
thigh," and other of his assertions are gross exag- 
gerations. Du Luth and Le Sueur make numerous 
incredible asseverations and falsifications of history. 
Radisson, as a narrator and historian, is simply pre- 
posterous and ridiculous. Capt. Jonathan Carver was 
a great liar, but every other American visitor that 
came after him in early days, as Pike, Long, Cass, Cat- 
lin, and others, wrote the truth, or at least tried to be 
accurate. 

THE LA VEEENDRYES DISCOVER THE RED RIVER VALLEY. 

The first Caucasians to look upon any portion of the 
Red River and its valley were a party of Frenchmen 
whose principal members were Pierre Gautier de 
Varennes, Sieur (or Lord) de la Verendrye, his sons, 
and a nephew named De la Jemeraye. The senior 
Verendrye (pro. Vay-ron-dr-yay) was, in 1728, a 
"chief factor," or head trader, in the fur trade at 
Lake Nipigon, north of Lake Superior. From what 
the Indians told him, he was induced to undertake a 
rather formidable expedition to the far westward, ex- 
pecting to secure large quantities of furs, to establish 
permanent trading posts or forts in the country, to 
get great gain for himself, and to advance the interests 
of his government. Verendrye was born in Canada, 
but was loyal to the French Government and its 
authorities. 

With the permission of the French authorities of 
Canada and the financial aid of some Montreal mer- 
chants, the senior Verendrye, with his sons and his 
nephew — the latter the Sieur Jemeraye — began, in 
1731, a series of explorations and developments far 
west of Lake Superior. They followed rather closely 
a line which is now practically the northern boundary 
of Minnesota. They built a trading post, which they 



32 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



called Fort St. Pierre, at the mouth of Rainy Lake; 
another which they called Fort St. Charles, on the 
west side of the Lake of the Woods, near the 49th 
parallel of latitude, and finally other posts as far west 
as on Lake Winnipeg and the Assiuiboine and Sas- 
katchewan Rivers. The Verendryes and their asso- 
ciates were probably the first Caucasians to see the 
Red River of the North, and this at its entrance into 
Lake Winnipeg. 

The senior Verendrye was far more anxious to cross 
the continent and reach the Pacific Ocean than to dis- 
cover and note the local geographic features of the 
country through which he passed. He left very mea- 
ger and unsatisfactory records of his travels and 
those of his sons. He sent the latter very far west- 
ward and they discovered some considerable elevations 
which they called "the Great Shining Mountains." 
Some modern historians and investigators think these 
were the Big Horn Mountains of Montana, while oth- 
ers think they were the Black Hills of South Dakota. 

In June, 1736, a party of 22 French voj'ageurs ac- 
companied by a priest and one of Verendrye 's sons, 
were murdered by the Sioux Indians of northern Min- 
nesota on an island in the Lake of the Woods. The 
Sioux considered that the Frenchmen were too friend- 
ly with their old-time foes, the Crees. Thereafter the 
Verendryes kept out of tlie Sioux country, and kept 
within the country controlled by the Crees and the 
latter's kinsmen, the Chippewas or Ojibways. 

Verendrye 's sons built a trading post on the south- 
em shore of Lake Winnipeg, near the mouth of the 
Red River. Only the sons were here ; the father re- 
mained at Lake Nipigon. We cannot tell what his 
sons reported to him, but in his records he makes no 
mention of any stream which can now be identified 
as the Red River of the North. Of course his sons 
were familiar with the river, but they either did not 
tell their father of it, or else he did not think it worth 
mentioni)ig. It is not probable that they ascended the 
river any considerable distance, because, for one rea- 
son, they were afraid of coming upon the bloody- 
minded Sioux. 



In 1734, Verendrye, or his sous, built a fort near 
"Lake Ounipegon," at the mouth of the Maurepas 
River (which is now known as the Winnipeg River), 
and not far from the present Fort Alexander, on the 
southeastern projection of the lake. Here the French- 
men passed at least a year, engaged in trading with 
the Indians between Lake Winnipeg and the Grand 
Portage (Bryce's History of the Hudson's Bay Com- 
pany, p. 85), and during this time they must have 
become acquainted with the Red River, although they 
made no written mention of it. 

A CHIPPEWA HALF-BLOOD GAVE THE FIRST PRINTED 
DESCRIPTION OF THE RED RIVER REGION. 

The earliest printed description of the northern 
part of Minnesota, and especially of the lower Red 
River region, was published by Arthur Dobbs, in 
London, 1744. Among other articles it contains a 
narrative by a French-Chippewa half-breed named 
Joseph La France, who, from 1740 to 1742, traveled 
extensively through what are now the northern parts 
of Minnesota and all of Manitoba. He reached Lake 
Winnipeg (or "Ouiuipique") in September, 1740, 
and spent the autumn there hunting beavers with the 
Crees. From these Indians he learned of the big Red 
Lake of Minnesota, but he understood them (or else 
his amanuensis misunderstood him) to say that it lay 
west instead of south of Lake Winnipeg. His descrip- 
tion reads : 

"On the west side of this lake [Winnipeg] the 
Indians told me that a River entei'ed it, wliich was 
navigable with Canoes ; it descended from Lac Rouge, 
or the Red Lake, called so from the Colour of the 
Sand. They said there were two other Rivers run 
out of that [the Red] lake, one into the Mississippi, 
and the other westward into a marshy Country, full 
of Beavers." 

This is the earliest kno\vn printed description of 

the lower Red River Valley. It will be noted that 

La France says Red Lake was so called "from the 

Colour of the Sand," presumablj' to be found on its 

beaches and shores. Some other observers saw the 

reflection of a red sunset on its surface and thought 

the derivation of the name came from the apparent 



1 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



33 



color of the water they saw, and which of course the 
aborigines had seen. 

During the summer and autumn of 1741 La France 
canoed to a lake which he called ' ' the Lake du Sieus. ' ' 
"Warren Upham concludes that this lake is probably 
the present Rice Lake, in Clearwater County, fifteen 
or twenty miles northwest of Lake Itasca, and on the 
Wild Rice River, near its source. The Sioux word 
for wild rice is psin, pronounced as spelled, and Mr. 
Upham thinks La France corrupted the word into 
"Siens. " Why he should use a Sioux word in a 
region peculiarly Chippewa to describe a natural fea- 
ture cannot here be explained. Moreover La France's 
' ' Siens ' ' may be a corruption of the French ' ' cygnes ' ' 
(pro. seens), meaning swans. However, Mr. Upham 's 
theory is rational and quite plausible. 

Mr. Upham is also of the opinion that a river which 
La France called the ' ' River du Siens ' ' is the present 
Red River; that a "fork" of this river, which he 
mentions, is at the mouth of the Wild Riee River, and 
that an "eastern tributaiy" which he noted would be 
the Red Lake River. Although the conclusions of 
Prof. Burpee, in his "Search for the Western Sea," 
differ from Mr. Upham 's regarding the lakes and 
rivers mentioned by La France, Mr. Upham still 
thinks he has identified these natural features cor- 
rectly. (See Minn, in Three Cents., Vol. 1, p. 302.) 

EARLY WHITE EXPLORERS OP THE REGION WERE NOT 
NUMEROUS. 

After Verendrye and La France the English trav- 
elers and explorers were the first to come to what are 
now northern Minnesota and southern Manitoba. 
These were first of all fur traders, and their explora- 
tions in behalf of development and civilization were 
secondary considerations and operations. Some of 
them visited the Red River but others of them never 
saw it, confining their observations to the country 
eastward of the river and its valley. Two of them 
wrote out and committed to print instructive and 
valuable descriptions of the country they visited and 
interesting accounts of their experiences therein. 

Alexander Henry, the senior, traversed the central 
route along a portion of the northern boundary of 



Minnesota in 1775, but did not get as far westward 
as to the Red River. In 1809 he published in book 
form a record of his investigations as a traveler, 
trader, and explorer, and his book "Travels and 
Adventures in Canada and the Indian Territories 
Between 1760 and 1765," is frequently consulted and 
quoted from by modern historians. 

Sir Alexander Mackenzie, who, in 1789, discovered 
the great northern river which still bears his name, 
came to the Minnesota shore of Lake Superior in 1785 
and finally crossed the Rocky Mountains and the 
Coast Range to the Pacific, going by the way of the 
Peace River. In his book of "Voyages," etc., pub- 
lished in 1801, he narrates much concerning the white 
men and the Indians of northern Minnesota during 
the latter part of the XVIII Century. But he makes 
no particular mention of the Red River, which he 
never saw. 

David Thompson, born in London in 1770, entered 
the service of the Hudson's Bay Company when he 
was 19 years old, or in 1789. In 1797 he joined the 
Northwest Fur Company and in the Spring of 1798 
he traveled through the Red River Valley, visiting 
Red Lake and even Turtle Lake, the latter about 
seven miles north of Bemidji, in Beltrami County. 
His other explorations for the Northern Fur Com- 
pany were important. He became renowned for his 
maps of the country and his plats, field notes, etc., 
fill forty large record books of the public surveys 
department at Toronto. Portions of his records were 
published by the Canadian Institute in 1888 and by 
the eminent historian, Dr. Elliott Coues, in 1897. It 
is unfortunate, however, that his description of the 
Red River and its region is not very elaborate. 

The younger Alexander Henry, as he is called, a 
nephew of the senior Alexander Henry, spent from 
1799 to 1808 in the region of Lake Winnipeg and the 
Red River. He was engaged in the fur trade and his 
principal posis were at the mouths of the Park and 
the Pembina Rivers. His journals, in which he gives 
many geogi'aphic names of Northern Minnesota, were 
edited and published by Dr. Coues in 1897. Henry's 
names of very many of the lakes and rivers of the 
region are still used. 






CHAPTER IV. 
FUR TRADERS THE FIRST WHITE RESIDENTS. 

THE HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY — DUNCAN GRAHAM COMES TO EAST GRAND FORKS PRIOR TO 1800 — DAVID THOMPSON 
FINDS JEAN BAPTISTE CADOTTE HERE IN 1798 THE NORTHWEST FUR COMPANY FORMED AND SENDS IN TRAD- 
ERS THE COLUMBIA AND AMERICAN FUR COMPANIES. 



The first white men with fixed residences and steady 
occupations in the country to visit and occupy por- 
tions of what is now Polk County, were fur traders 
in the service of the Hudson's Bay and the Northwest 
Fur Companies, both English corporations. 

THE Hudson's bay company. 

In 1668 an American ship, the Nonsuch, Capt. 
Zaehariah Gillan, a New Englander, sailed from Lon- 
don into Hudson's Bay and landed at the mouth of 
the Nelson River. It was sent out by some London 
furriers to investigate the fur and pelt resources of 
Hudson's Bay, which great inland sea had been dis- 
covered by Henry Hudson fifty years previously. A 
full ship-load of furs and peltries was easily secured, 
and on the return of the Nonsuch to London a great 
corporation was soon formed to make permanent occu- 
pation of the Hudson's Bay region and make thorough 
exploitation of its resources available for traffic. The 
corporation called itself, "The Governor and Com- 
pany of Adventurers of England Trading into Hud- 
son's Bay." King Charles II, England's "merry 
monarch" of the time, readily gave the company a 
charter which was dated May 2, 1670. 

The first Governor of the Company was Prince 
Rupert, the dashing English cavalier, whose titles 
were Count Palatine of the Rhine and Duke of 
Bavaria and Cumberland. The region of country in 
which the company was to operate was styled Prince 
Rupert's Land, whicli name is still in use. The gen- 



erous King Charles gave the adventurers a vast 
expanse of country, which of course he did not really 
own, and which, according to the terms of the charter 
comprised, — 

The whole trade of all those seas, streights, bays, 
rivers, lakes, creeks, and sounds, in whatsoever lati- 
tude they shall be, that be within the entrance of the 
streights commonly called Hudson's streights — to- 
gether with all the lands, countries, and territories 
upon the coasts and confines of the seas, streights, 
bays, lakes, rivers, creeks, and sounds aforesaid, which 
are not now actually possessed by any of our subjects 
or by the subjects of any other Christian Prince or 
state. 

Of course, by the terms of the charter, the Red 
River region was included in the trade territory of 
the great corporation, since the water of the river 
whose name it still bears flows finally into Hudson's 
Bay and may be said to lie "within the entrance of 
the streights commonly called Hudson's Streights." 
Into Lake Winnipeg run both the Red River and the 
Saskatchewan, the latter rivaling the Mississippi in 
some respects, springing from the very heart of the 
Rocky Mountains. The vast territory drained by 
these streams was all legitimately covered by the 
language of the company's charter. 

It must be borne in mind, however, that at the time 
the charter was given, the French owned Canada, 
including the country south of Hudson's Bay; and 
this great empire they continued to own and control 
vmtil it was taken away from them by the English 
after the French and Indian War and by the treaty 



34 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



35 



of Paris in 1763. The charter recognized the facts, 
and therefore provided that the Hudson's Bay Com- 
pany was not to interfere with the trading posts 
already in the country in the actual possession of 
"the subjects of any other Christian prince or state." 

Hence it was that the Verendryes, La France, and 
other French subjects acting under the French au- 
thority, visited Lake Winnipeg and the Red River 
and made establishments long before the Englisli 
came. How far they ascended the Red River, if they 
ever ascended it at all, or what they did, if anything, 
in the Polk County country, is unknown to the pres- 
ent writer, and it seems now that it is too late to 
inquire into the subject. There is no known record 
of the French exploitation of this district beyond 
what has been noted, and it is not probable that the 
operations connected therewith were of much impor- 
tance or there would be such a record. 

Moreover, it was many years after the Hudson's 
Bay Company began operations when its agents began 
to operate in the Red River region. We only have 
disconnected accounts of the presence of these traders 
in the country, and these accounts refer to only the 
latter part of the XVIII Century. 

DUNCAN GRAHAM AT GRAND PORKS. 

The first engagee of the Hudson's Bay Company 
to ascend the Red River, so far as the present writer 
is informed, was a young Scotchman named Duncan 
Graham. He came to Winnipeg and the Red River 
some time during the last half of the XVIII Century. 
A fairly reliable biographical sketch of the young 
trader was published in the Minnesota Pioneer of 
April 15, 1851, over the signature of "F." The 
author was probably Dr. Thomas Foster, a prominent 
pioneer newspaper man and a noted writer on Min- 
nesota early history. In this article it is stated that 
some time prior to the year 1800 Duncan Graham was 
' ' connected with a trading post of the Hudson 's Bay 
Company at the Grand Forks on Red River. Later 
he was for a long time in charge of an establishment 
at the place which is still called Graham 's Point, south 
of the Grand Forks." 



On which side of the river at the Grand Forks 
stood the trading establishment with which Graham 
was connected cannot with certainty be stated. Pre- 
sumably, however, it was on the Polk County side, 
for the Indians who were its patrons lived chiefly on 
that side, being the Chippewas of Red Lake and the 
other lakes and rivers directly east of the post. 
Graham had associates, of course, and he may have 
had predecessors, but we do not know who they were. 
He is the first white man whose identity has been 
clearly determined that established himself within 
what is now Polk County. A sketch of him seems 
proper in this connection. 

Captain Duncan Graham was a native of the High- 
lands of Scotland, and a member of a prominent 
family of the region. The Clan Graham, or Graeme, 
is one of the most renowned in the early history of 
Scotland. He was not born in Edinburgh, as one 
account says. He was born about 1766, although 
there is ground for belief that his birth occurred near 
1760. He came to the Northwest when a very young 
man, presumably in the service of the Hudson's Bay 
Company. He was in the Minnesota country in the 
latter part of the XVIII Century. 

According to the sworn testimony of Michael 
Brisbois (as reported in Vol. 2, Wis. Hist. Coll., p. 
130), Captain Graham, James Aird, Brisbois himself, 
and others were traders in the Sioux country on the 
Minnesota in 1781. If the Captain had been born in 
1766, he would have been in 1781 but 15, or too young 
for an Indian trader. Judge Lockwood, who was a 
trader at Prairie du Chien and also on the upper 
Minnesota, in 1816, says Graham was in the country 
about 1786 or 1787 (as is noted in Vol. 9, Wis. Hist. 
Coll., p. 467), and it is certain that he was at Men- 
dota, the mouth of the Minnesota River, in December, 
1802, for at that date he was one of the witnesses to 
the will of Archibald Campbell, a prominent trader, 
who was killed in a duel, and his will recorded at 
Mackinaw. 

Near Mendota Captain Graham married a mixed- 
blood Sioux woman, a granddaughter of a noted 
Frenchman of the earliest times named Penichon, who 



36 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



was at first a trader among the Sioux but became chief 
of one of their small sub-bauds. Succeeding him in 
the chieftainship was his sou, whose Indian name was 
Nah-zhin Okauko, or Stops Suddenly, but who was 
generally called Son of Penichon ; he was one of the 
signers of Lieutenant Pike's treaty with the Sioux at 
Mendota in 1805. The true name Penichon is vari- 
ously misspelled. His band was in time presided over 
by Chief Black Dog, and its last chief was Maukato. 

During the war between the United States and 
Great Britain (1812-15) Graham became first a lieu- 
tenant and then a captain in the British military 
service, and was very active against the Americans. 
He had a command of Sioux Indians in northern Ohio 
and participated with his warriors in the battles of 
Maumee and in the unsuccessful assault on Fort 
Stevenson. He assisted in the capture of Prairie du 
Chien in July, 1814, and in the following September 
went down to the Rock Island, with 30 Indians and 
three small cannon, and utterly defeated and drove 
back down the river a force of 400 Americans under 
Colonel Zachary Taylor (afterwards President), who 
had a rather strong fleet of armed boats and was 
coming up to recapture Prairie du Chien. Graham 
was but a lieutenant at the time, but for this exploit 
was made a captain. 

After the war Captain Graham remained in the 
Northwest and became a naturalized citizen of the 
United States. He was as faithful thereafter to his 
adopted country as he had been to British King 
George. He became an Indian trader in Minnesota, 
and a prominent one, and his operations ranged over 
the extent of country between Pembina and the Cana- 
dian border on the north and the latitude of Prairie 
du Chien. In 1819, when the crop failed in tlio 
Selkirk Colony, and the people on the lower Red River 
were starving. Captain Graham and another trader, 
named "William Laidlaw (or Laidlow), went from 
Pembina to Prairie du Chien and brought back to the 
suffering colony three big boat loads of wheat and 
oats and 30 bushels of peas, which furnished plenty 
of seed for planting and quite a stock for eating. 



How the supplies and the boats were transported 
from the head of navigation on the Minnesota over 
to the Red River can only be conjectured. (See 
Neill's Hist, of Minn.) 

Captain Graham had by his marriage four intel- 
lectual, fairly accomplished, and altogether worthy 
daughter, who married four prominent Minneso- 
tiaus, viz. : Alexander Faribault, Joseph Buisson, 
Oliver Cratte, and James Wells. The son was 
Alexander Graham, who also became prominent in 
Minnesota. Some of the Captain's grandchildren 
have long lived in Minnesota and at Devil's Lake, 
North Dakota, and are well known as honorable and 
useful members of society. 

Captain Graham died at Mendota, Minn., at the 
residence of his son-in-law, Alexander Faribault, 
December 5, 1847, aged between 81 and 87. His wife, 
whose Indian name was Hahzah-hota-wiu, or Gray 
Huckleberry woman, also died at Mendota, March 2, 
1848. 

D.WID THOMPSON HERE IN 1798 AND FINDS JEAN 
CADOTTE. 

We know for certain that Captain Graham was not 
the only trader at East Grand Forks at an early day. 
David Thompson, the explorer, astronomer, cartogra- 
pher, and general investigator before mentioned, vis- 
ited the Forks in March, 1798, and found there Jean 
Baptiste Cadot, engaged in the Indian trade. Dr. 
Bryce (Hist. H. B. Co., p. 138) suggests that this was 
the son of the Cadot (or Cadotte), the veteran master 
of the Sault Ste. Marie, who for a long time refused 
to acknowledge the English sovereignty of the country 
but remained faithful in his allegiance to his "beau- 
tiful France." 

Thompson particularly notes iu his journal the 
establishment of Monsieur Cadotte at the Forks, where 
he remained a few days. Then he determined to find 
the true source of the Mis.sissippi, which had long 
been an object of interest to geographers and explorers. 
This, too, had been one of the duties laid upon him by 
his employers, the officers of the Northwest Company. 



COMPENDIUM OP HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



37 



For it must be understood that, although Thompson 
had originally entered the service of the Hudson's Bay 
Company, lie had disagreed with its authorities as to 
wliat he should do, had withdrawn from its employ, 
and had, in 1795, eutei'ed the service of its strenuous 
rival, the Northwest Company, which had been organ- 
ized in 1783-84. His position was that of chief sur- 
veyor and astronomer. 

Making a detour from Grand Forks, in order to 
avoid the ice then in the Red Lake River, Thompson 
struck the upper banks of that river and followed the 
banks until he reached Red Lake. Leaving this lake, 
he made a portage to the south some 12 or 15 miles 
and came to Turtle Lake (in what is now the southern 
portion of Beltrami County), and this lake he con- 
sidered to be the source of the Mississippi ; but of 
course he was mistaken, for 40 years later Schoolcraft 
determined that Lake Itasca (in the southern corner 
of Clearwater County), some 35 miles to the southwest 
of Turtle Lake, is the true source of the great Father 
of Waters. But in early days many geographical 
mistakes were made. Thus when the treaty between 
the United States and Great Britain was made, in 
1783, following the close of the War of the Revolution, 
the Turtle Lake visited by Thompson was thought to 
be farther north than the northwestern angle of the 
Lake of the Woods. 

After leaving Turtle Lake, Thompson visited Red 
Cedar Lake and Sand Lake, in the direction of Lake 
Superior, and at length reached the Northwest Com- 
pany's trading post near the mouth of the St. Louis 
River and the Fond du Lac. On the Sand Lake River 
he found a trading post of his Company. Indeed 
about this time posts of the Northwest Company fairly 
dotted the country now comprising the northern por- 
tion of Minnesota. Singularly enough, however, when 
Thompson, in March, 1798, came to the present site 
of Winnipeg there was no trading post or other white 
habitation there. The Verendrye post of Fort Maure- 
pas, built 70 years before, and succeeding white men's 
establishments had all disappeared. 



THE NORTHWEST COMPANY FORMED. 

The profitable operations of the Hudson's Bay 
Company excited the envy and cupidity of certain in- 
dependent traders who in 1783. and 1784 organized 
a rival corporation which they called the Northwest 
Company. The leading members of the Company were 
Simon McTavish, Benjamin and Joseph Frobisher, 
Peter Pond, and William McGillivray. Peter Pond 
was a Connecticut man but an early trader in the 
Northwest. At one time he had a post near the mouth 
of the Minnesota River. He was of an impetuous, 
violent disposition and killed at least two other traders 
in quarrels over business matters. The Northwest 
Company entered with great energy upon its enter- 
prises and soon had more trading posts in Manitoba 
and noi'thei'n Minnesota than the Hudson's- Bay Com- 
pany. 

Then, in 1795, the New Northwest Company, com- 
monly called the XY Company, was formed, with 
Alexander IMackenzie as the leading spirit. This be- 
came a strong corporation and a formidable rival of 
both the Northwest and the Hudson's Bay organiza- 
tions. But in 1804-5 it was merged with the North- 
west Company under the old name. This Company 
now drove out, practically speaking, nearly all the 
Hudson's Bay traders from lower Manitoba and north- 
ern Minnesota. When Lieut. Pike came up, in 1805, 
he found Northwest Company trading houses on the 
upper Mississippi at the mouth of the Red Cedar, at 
Sandy Lake, at the mouth of the Prairie River and 
below Pokegama Falls, on Upper Red Cedar Lake, and 
the main establishment at Leech Lake, with Hugh Mc- 
Gillis as the general agent or chief factor. He noted 
that there were numerous other posts to the north and 
northwest of Leech Lake. All of these establishments 
were flying the British flag in token of their allegiance 
to Great Britain, notwithstanding the scenes of their 
operations had been American soil, fairly won by the 
War for Independence, ever since the treaty of 1783. 
Lieut. Pike made all the traders with whom he came 
in contact haul down the Union Jack and run up the 



38 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



stars and stripes aud Chief Factor MeGillis promised 
to send word to all the other traders in the country 
that they must do the same. 

Seven years after Pike 's visit came the War of 1812 
between Great Britain and the United States, and 
then, of course, the stars and stripes came down from 
the trading houses. Practically every British trader 
was an emissary for King George. Robert Dickson, a 
factor of the Northwest Company, recruited a num- 
ber of Indians in Minnesota and led them into the 
British service. They .served against the Americans 
on the upper Mississippi, in Jlichigan, aud in northern 
Ohio. After the close of the war, in 1815, they re- 
sumed their trading operations in Minnesota. They 
were openly defiant of the authority of the United 
States, kept up their British flags, held frequent coun- 
cils with the Indians, distributed British medals among 
them, and whispered to them that another time was 
coming when their great English father would need 
their services in a war against the Americans! A few 
American traders had ventured up into the country, 
l)ut the British traders conspired against them and 
drove them out. They controlled the trade from Win- 
nipeg to as far south as the lower Des Moines River 
and constituted a formidable menace to American in- 
terests. 

Upon the complaints of the American traders Con- 
gi'ess enacted that none but full American citizens 
should have licenses as fur traders. The British fac- 
tors evaded this restriction by having some humble 
employee in their service w'ho was an American take 
out the license in his name and then they conducted 
the business as theretofore. Finally the Executive 
Department of the Government acted. In 1819 the 
Secretary of War, John C. Calhoun, of South Caro- 
lina, determined that the laws and authority of the 
United States should be respected. He ordered mili- 
tary posts established on the northern and northwest- 
ern frontiers, and that these posts should be supplied 
with sufficient garrisons to bring the defiant British 
trading malefactors to terms and to enforce the United 
States laws in those regions. Posts were established at 



the mouth of the St. Peter's River, now Fort Snelling; 
at Council Bluffs, on- the Missouri ; at the month of the 
Yellowstone, on the upper Missouri, and at the " " Palls 
of St. Mary's," now commonly called Sault Ste. 
Marie. 

Not long after the U. S. troops came up and built 
Fort Snelling the Northwest Company began to lose 
business in this region. Fort Snelling was built and 
properly garrisoned in 1819-20, and in March, 1821, 
the great Northwest Company virtuallj' surrendered 
the field and was absorbed by the Hudson's Bay Com- 
pany under the latter 's name. 

The strife and warfare between the Northwest and 
the Hudson's Bay Companies, involving attacks 
against the members of the Selkirk Settlement, on the 
Red River, in 1815 and 1816, the actual fighting of lit- 
tle battles — in one of which Govei-nor Semple, of the 
Hudson's Bay Company w-as killed — the slaying of 
perhaps 50 other men, etc., need not be moi'e than ad- 
verted to here. 

What is of importance in a history of Polk County 
is that it was the traders of the Northwest Company 
that were within what is now that county between 
1790 and 1820. Just where they all were, and who 
they were, cannot now and here be stated. David 
Thompson found Jean Baptiste Cadotte with a trad- 
ing post at East Grand Forks, in March, 1798, and 
we know that Duncan Graham was here in this period. 
There was no trading post then at the Red Lake, but 
traders came and went, and they may have been at 
the big lake the year before or the year after. That 
the traders of the Northwest Company were scattered 
along the upper Red River and along the Minnesota 
from its source to its moutli from 1790 to 1820 is a 
fact well established. 

THE COLUMBIA FUR COMPANY. 

The Hudson's Bay and the Northwest Fur Com- 
panies consolidated in March, 1821, and the follow- 
ing year a number of their former traders that had 
done business for them in the Red River and upper 
Minnesota region concluded to form a new Company to 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



39 



operate in the Minnesota country and did so. The in- 
corporators were Joseph Renville, Thomas Jeffries, 
Kenneth MeKenzie, Wm. Laidlaw, and perhaps Dun- 
can Graham, and one or two others. They named the 
new organization the Columbia Fur Company. Its 
central establishment was the post on Lake Traverse. 
All of their posts were licensed by the U. S. Indian 
agent at Fort Snelling. 

When, in July, 1823, Maj. Long's exploring expedi- 
tion reached Lake Traverse on its way down the Red 
River, it found an important post of the Columbia 
Company in charge of Mr. Jeffries and others. (Keat- 
ing 's ' ' Narrative, ' ' p. 444 et seq. ) The village of the 
Sioux chief Wahnatah, the Charger, was near by and 
the expedition spent some days in the neighborhood. 

By the year 1825 the Columbia Company had a 
number of licensed trading posts in Minnesota. These 
posts were called by the pretentious name of ' ' Forts, ' ' 
and were as follows : Fort Adams, at Lac qui Parle ; 
Fort Washington, at Lake Travei-se; Fort Union, at 
Traverse des Sioux ; Port Barbour, Falls of the St. 
Croix ; Fort Bolivar, at Leaf Lake ; Fort Confedera- 
tion, on the Des Moines River, where the city of Des 
Moines now stands. 

THE AMERICAN FUR COMPANY. 

In 1808 John Jacob Astor founded the great busi- 
ness organization known as the American Fur Com- 
pany. He was its President until in 1834, when he 



was succeeded by Ramsay Crooks, father of Col. Wil- 
liam Crooks, for whom Crookston was named. After 
1822 this company had absorbed or swallowed up ita 
smaller rivals and was conducted in the country east 
of the Missouri by what were termed its Northern and 
Western Departments. The Northern Department em- 
braced the region of the Great Lakes and the upper 
Mississippi and was conducted by Ramsay Crooks, 
whose headquarters were in New York, but who spent 
much time at Mackinaw and at other of his trading 
posts in the Northwest. Pierre Chouteau, Jr., of St. 
Louis, superintended the Western Department, com- 
prising, at first, the Missouri River country and the 
Rocky Mountains. Later Chouteau & Company pur- 
chased the Western Department, including the coun- 
try west of the Mississippi. In Minnesota the chief 
post or "factory" of the company was at Fort Snel- 
ling, and Gen. H. H. Sibley was the "chief factor" 
for many years. 

In 1825 the American Company had a post at Red 
Lake called Fort Pike. Other of its posts in the Min- 
nesota country were at the ' ' upper sand hills, ' ' on the 
Cheyenne ; at Crow Wing, on the Mississippi ; at Lit- 
tle Rapids (Carver), on the Minnesota; at Leech Lake, 
Devil's Lake, below Big Stone Lake, Sandy Lake, and 
at the Forks of the Red Cedar River. It is unfortu- 
nate that the names of the traders at these posts have 
not Deen preserved. 



CHAPTER V. 
EARLY AMERICAN EXPLORATIONS IN RED RIVER VALLEY. 

MAJOR long's expedition IN 1823 — ITS HISTORIAN DESCRIBES RED LAKE RIVER AS THE "RED FORK" AND NOTES 

THE SALT DEPOSITS OF THE REGION COUNT BELTRAMI, OF ITALY, ACCOMPANIES THE MAJ. LONG EXPEDITION, 

DESCRIBES THE COUNTRY, AND CALLS THE RED "tHE BLOODY RIVER " THE SELKIRK SETTLEMENT AND ITS 

CONNECTION ■\VITII THE HISTORY OF POLK COUNTY — SELKIRK COLONISTS WERE THE COUNTY'S FIRST WHITE 

RESIDENTS THE AREA OF THE PRESENT COUNTY FIRST PURCHASED OF THE INDIANS BY LORD SELKIRK — CAPT. 

JOHN POPE, IN 1850, RECORDED THE FACT THAT THE COLONISTS CAME TO EAST GRAND FORKS BETWEEN 1814 
AND 1820 — A FEW OP THEIR NAMES. 



MAJOR long's EXPEDITION OF 1823. 

In the spriug, summer, and fall of 1823, pursuant 
to orders from the War Department, a miscellaneous' 
expedition, under the command of Maj. Stephen H. 
Long, with a corps of scientists for observations of a 
general character, went from Washington to and 
through a considerable portion of the Northwest, in- 
cluding the Red River Valley and a great deal of 
northern Minnesota. Coming into the Minnesota 
country in July, the expedition passed from Fort 
Snelling up the Minnesota Valley to Lake Winnipeg 
(then called Winnipeek) thence up the Winnipeg 
River to the Lake of the Woods and thence eastward 
along the Canadian boundary to Lake Superior. A 
very interesting and valuable history of the expedition 
was written by Prof. Wm. H. Keating, its geologist, 
recorder, and historian. 

The expedition left Fort Snelling for the ascent 
of the Minnesota in the latter part of July, 1823, and 
comprised two small parties, one on horseback riding 
along the shores, and the other up the river in boats. 
Lake Traver.se was reached July 23, and here three 
days were spent with the authorities of the Columbia 
Fur Company, at their main post. They struck the 
Red Lake River a few miles from its mouth, and found 



their position to be latitude 47 degrees, 47 minutes, 
and 25 seconds north, and longitude 96 degrees, 53 
minutes, and 45 seconds west. Keating calls the river 
"the Red Fork of Red River," and says that where 
the party forded it the width was forty yards. Its 
banks were steep, and the carts were crossed with 
difficulty; its bed was sandy and its current very 
rapid. The party went along the east bank of the 
river to Pembina, which was reached August 5. The 
village — or rather settlement — of Pembina had then a 
poj)ulation of 350, most of whom were Metis, or half 
bloods, and who lived in 60 log houses or cabins, near- 
ly all of which stood on the west bank, adjacent to a 
former fort of the Hudson's Bay Company, which 
had been recently abandoned. 

It will be borne in mind that the Hudson's Baj' 
Company originally claimed the country of the Red 
River Valley as far up as the "Red Fork," or Red 
Lake River. In 1812 the Company granted to Thomas 
Douglas, Earl of Selkirk, for his colony, the country 
of the Valley, including both banks of the Red River, 
"up to the Red or Great Fork," assuming ownership 
and control to that extent. But when, after the War 
of 1812, the international boundary line was estab- 
lished, as a result of the successful issue in 1781 of 
their War for Independence, the Americans acquired 



40 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



41 



the country far down the Red River, including the 
site of the Pembina Settlement. 

Keating notes that in the spring of 1823, a few 
months before Maj. Long's arrival, the astronomers 
of the Hudson's Bay Company had made observa- 
tions which had led them to suspect that the Pem- 
bina settlement was south, and not north, of the 
boundary line. They, therefore, removed "Fort Pem- 
bina" down the river to Fort Douglas, at the mouth 
of the Assiniboine River. Keating records that Fort 
Pembina was 120 miles by water up the river from 
the Assiniboine, "and near the mouth of a small 
stream named by the Chippewas the Anepeminansepe, 
from a small red berry termed by them anepeminan, 
which name has been corrupted into Pembina. The 
theme of the word is anepin, meaning summer, and 
minan, meaning berry, while sepe means river or 
creek." The berry is identified as the high bush cran- 
berry; scientific name, viburnum oxycoccus. Many 
writers say that the discovery of the fact of their 
illegal location and the removal from Pembina to Fort 
Douglas occurred in 1820 or 1821 ; but Keating was 
there in August, 1823, and says that these events oc- 
curred the previous spring. 

Describing the rivers and other natural features of 
the Polk County region, Prof. Keating writes : 

"The Red Fork, which by the Indians is consid- 
ered the main branch of the Red River, takes its name 
from the Red Lake, in which it rises. Both are said 
to be translations of the term bloody, used by the In- 
dians, and which is doubtless derived from some 
slaughter committed in that vicinity, and not (as is 
the case with many other rivers which have the same 
appellation) from the color of their beds.* 

"In times of flood the Red Fork is navigable for 
barges throughout its length to Red Lake, a distance 
of 120 miles ; in ordinary stages of water, canoes can 
ascend to its source. This is the mo.st important trib- 
utary of the Red River, containing an equal quan- 
tity of water with the main stream above the Grand 
Fork. Mr. [Thomas] Jeffries [of the Columbia Fur 
Company, and guide to the expedition] informed us 
that the Red Lake has, at the western part of the 
main lake, the form of a crescent, with its back to 
the southwest. 

* But La France, the first visitor, says the lake was named 
for the color of the sands on its shores. 
3 



' ' The general course of the Red Fork from this lake 
is northwest. It receives a few small tributaries, the 
most important of which are the Clear River, enter- 
ing about 30 miles from its mouth, on the southwest 
side, and Thief River, entering it from the northeast. 
The woods along Red Fork are very thick and extend 
to about half a mile on either side. Hazelnuts were 
very abundant and nearlv ripe at that time [August 
2J. 

' ' Below the junction of the Red Fork with the main 
stream, the Red River was observed to be about 40 
yards wide and its current was about one knot an hour. 
The bed of Swamp or Marsh River was dry. At the 
confluence of the two branches of Two Rivers there is a 
considerable salt spring. # # # There 
are doubtless in this country a great many salt springs, 
especially below the Red Fork; we saw none, but we 
were informed that fine springs exist on Big and Lit- 
tle Saline Rivers, on the Two Rivers, and in other 
places, where the salt is found in white efflorescences, 
so as to be annually collected there by the colonists of 
Pembina. And yet, notwithstanding its abundance in 
the country, and the ease with which it can be gath- 
ered, the price of this article is from |4 to .$6 per bar- 
rel of 80 pounds. One of the residents on the river 
cleared $500 in one winter by the salt which he col- 
lected. Probably by boring te a small depth abun- 
dant springs would be found." 

Recent investigations show that salt exists in in- 
calculable quantities in Kittson, Marshall, and the 
northern part of Polk Counties, and at no very con- 
siderable depth from the surface. Time alone can de- 
termine whether or not this great resource will ever be 
developed. 

COUNT BELTRAMI VISITS RED RIVER AND RED LAKE. 

There accompanied Maj. Long's expedition from 
Fort Snelling (or Fort St. Anthony) to Pembina, an 
Italian gentleman named Giacomo Costantino Bel- 
trami. He had come to America on a journey of ad- 
venture under the patronage of an Italian countess; 
his elaborate published account of his "Pilgrimage in 
Europe and America," etc., is mainly a series of de- 
scriptive letters addressed to this lady. Anglicized, 
his name would be James Constantine Beltrami and 
on the title pages of his books it is given as J. C. Bel- 
trami. 

The accomplished but eccentric Italian joined the 
Long expedition as a guest, but his relations with the 



42 



COMPENDIUM OP HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



party were unpleasant almost from the start at Fort 
Snelling. When Pembina was reached, there was an 
open rupture and he left the party to complete his 
"pilgrimage" by himself and on his own account. 
Leaving Pembina (which he calls "Pembenar") Bel- 
trami set out, with two Chippewas and a half-breed 
interpreter, and traveled southeastwardly to the junc- 
tion of the Thief and the Red Lake Rivers, and thence 
his journey was by canoes up the latter river to Red 
Lake. He calls the Thief River ' ' the Robbers' River ' ' 
and gives the name "Bloody River" to both the Red 
Lake and the Red Rivers. He considered the former 
the principal branch of the latter, which in one place 
(Pilgrimage, Vol. 2, p. 400) he mentions as "the Red 
River, or, more properly speaking, the Bloody River." 
But he does not call Red Lake "the Bloody Lake." 

After a number of perils and privations Count 
Beltrami finally reached Cass Lake and Leech Lake, 
and then went down the Mississippi in a canoe to Fort 
Snelling, and thence to New Orleans, etc. En route, 
on Thief River, the Sioux fired on his party, severely 
wounding one of his Chippewas. The next day both 
Indians and the half-breed deserted him and took a 
short route to Red Lake. For four days the Count 
waded up Red Lake River, towing his canoe, in whicli 
was his baggage; once the canoe upset, throwing 
everything into the water. On the evening of the 
fourth day he met some Chippewas, and one of them 
assisted him in paddling his canoe to Red Lake after 
two days of hard work. He skirted a great deal of 
the shores of the main Red Lake and finally made a 
portage from the south shore to waters which eventu- 
ally led him into Mud Lake, which he said the Indians 
called the "Puposk.v-Weza-Kanyaguen," or End of 
the Shaking Lands. The chief of the Red Lake Chip- 
pewas was called Big Rabbit, and on the north shore 
was another band of some 300 souls whose chief was 
the Big Elk. 

THE SELKIRK SETTLEMENT AND POLK COUNTY. 

Reference has been made to the settlement by 
Scotch, Swiss, and French Canadian Colonists of the 



district obtained in 1881 by Lord Selkirk from the 
Hudson's Bay Company and which was on the lower 
Red River. It was called generally the Selkirk Set- 
tlement, and sometimes referred to as the Red River 
Settlement. The first colonists came from Scotland 
in the fall of 1812 and located at the mouth of the 
Assiniboine, near the present site of Winnipeg. 

The Selkirk Settlement is definitely and in some 
respects rather prominently connected with the his- 
tory of Minnesota, and especially with that of the 
Red River Valley. The first permanent settlers and 
residents of the State, and of that part of the Valley 
within the State, were refugees and fugitives from the 
Selkirk Settlement, or Red River Colony. They had 
been driven out by grasshoppers, floods, drouths, and 
other calamitous visitations and they sought safety to 
the southward, where the}' believed conditions were 
better. By the year 1840 nearly 700 Red River ref- 
ugees had come to Port Snelling and many of them 
had made permanent settlements about St. Paul and 
elsewhere in Minnesota. (Minn, in Three Cents., Vol. 
2, p. 76.) 

And so, too, regarding the first white settlers in the 
Polk County district of the Red River Valley. They 
too came from the Red River Settlement. Only a few 
of these were farmei"s, however. They were traders, 
but had cabins along the Red, and perhaps on the 
Red Lake River, and doubtless they cultivated gardens 
and small tracts of grain. There was also consid- 
erable coni raising in the country in early days, more 
perhaps, in proportion to other crops, than there is 
now. In 1826 the Chippewas of Red River were rais- 
ing plenty of corn, potatoes, and turnips. In 1832, 
when Schoolcraft and Boutwell were on their famous 
expedition to Lake Itasca, they stopped, in the first 
week of July, at the trading post at Sandy Lake. In 
his journal (Minn. Hist. Socy. Coll., Vol. 1, p. 158) 
Boutwell writes: 

Com for this post is mostly obtained at Red Lake, 
from the Indians, who there cultivate it to a consid- 
erable extent. The trader tells me that he bought 105 
bushels from that place this spring, and that it is not 
a rare matter to meet a squaw who has this quantity 
to sell. 



COMPENDIUM OP HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



43 



On page 168 (ibid.) BoutweU refers to corn raising 
by the Indians at the Red Cedar Lake and says: 
"They originally obtained the corn, which they have 
cultivated here for many years, from Red River. ' ' 

The Histoi-y of the Minnesota Agricultural Society 
(p. 11) says that at intervals between 1827 and 1838 
the quartermasters at Port Snelling bought corn from 
the northern Chippewas, and that in many instances 
the Indian women had carried the grain on their backs 
from their granaries to the shipping points on the 
upper Mississippi. 

So that it is quite probable that the early settlers in 
the Polk County region raised corn, notwithstanding 
the difficulties of its cultivation, when it was subject 
to the injurious attacks of blackbirds, wild pigeons, 
and grasshoppers from its planting to its harvesting. 
The Selkirkers, in their settlement at Pembina, had 
these pests and other obstacles to contend against in 
their agricultural operations, and this was why so 
many of them left the country for the lower Minne- 
sota districts, and other more favored regions. Some 
of the Red River refugees went as far as to Indiana. 

Selkirk's colonists first polk county settlers. 

The fact is not generally remembered that many of 
the early members of Lord Selkirk's Colony settled 
in what is now Polk County prior to 1820, under the 
mistake that they were locating on British territory. 
They were quite excusable. They knew but very little 
about the boundary line between the United States 
and the British possessions, as established after the 
War of the Revolution by the treaty of Paris, in 1783. 
As has been previously stated, the charter given the 
Hudson's Bay Company by King Charles granted the 
Red River Valley to the company— at least as far 
south as to the Sioux Wood River. In 1811, when 
Lord Selkirk purchased the land for his colony from 
the company, the deed gave (in part) the boundaries 
of the grant as extending from the Assiniboine River 
"due south from that to the height of land which 
separates the waters which run into Hudson's Bay 



from those of the Missouri and the Mississippi. ' ' 
(Ross's R. R. Settlement, p. 9.) 

The "height of land" mentioned is equivalent to 
the watershed between Lake Traverse and the mouth 
of the Sioux Wood, in Traverse County, Minnesota, 
and Roberts County, South Dakota. This is more 
than 200 miles south of the 49th parallel, or the 
boundary line between Canada and the United States, 
and of course the Hudson's Bay Company had no 
right to dispose of any land on American soil or below 
the boundary. But it seems that neither Lord Selkirk 
nor any one else in that quarter of Canada knew (and 
perhaps did not care) anything about the interna- 
tional boundary. 

Selkirk (or Lord Thomas Douglas) was apparently 

innocent. He had paid a good round sum for the land 

of his proposed colony and he was determined to have 

a perfect title to it. He recognized the title of the 

Cree and Chippewa Indians to the country and he 

was bound to extinguish it so that there should be no 

cloud upon his own. So, at ' ' the Forks of Red River, ' ' 

July 18, 1817, he made a treaty with certain chiefs 

and warriors of the tribes mentioned by which they 

ceded to him their claim to the territory described as 

follows : 

All that tract of land, adjacent to Red River and 
Assiniboine River, beginning at the mouth of the Red 
River and * extending along the same as far as the 
Great Forks, at the mouth of the Red Lake River, and 
along Assiniboine River as far as Muskrat River — 
otherwise called Riviere des Champignons, [the River 
of Mushrooms] and extending to the distance of six 
miles from Port Douglas, [near Winnipeg] and like- 
wise from Port Daer, [at Pembina] and * also from 
the Great Forks and certain other parts extending in 
breadth to the distance of two English statute miles 
back from the banks of the said rivers, on each side, 
together with all the appurtenances whatsoever of the 
said tract of land, to have and to hold," etc. 

The consideration given the Indians was 200 pounds 
of tobacco, 100 pounds to each tribe, for the entire 
grant amounting to about 110,000 square miles. 
(Bryce's H. B. Co., p. 207; but his "Romantic Settle- 
ment of Selkirk's Colonists," p. 42, says 116,000 

* The italicizing is by the compiler. 



u 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



square miles.) What Selkirk paid the Hudson's Bay 
Company is not certainly known; it is stated at 
$50,000, $125,000, $500,000, etc.* The treaty was 
signed by Selkirk and by Chiefs the Sounder, Black 
Blanket, Big Ears, and Black Man, the first two of 
the Crees. 

As stated, the land ceded extended two miles on 
either side of the Red River from its mouth practically 
to Lake Travei-se. It particularly included the coun- 
try comprising the west two miles of Polk County. 
The Selkirk colonists came to the Red River fij^t in 
1812, locating near its mouth. Soon after, when the 
French Canadians had joined the Colony, many of 
them, Scotch and French, came up the river and set- 
tled at various points. A good many were on the 
Red Lake River, "some leagues from the Great 
Forks." (Ross) John Mclntyre is recorded as dying 
at la Grande Fourehe in 1817. The list of these set- 
tlers has been lost so far as the present writer knows. 
But former writers have established the facts of tlie 
settlement. In his official report of his expedition, 
Capt. John Pope states : 

The settlements along the Red River of the North 
were made first about the year 1812 by a colony of 
Scotch, English, and Canadian French, who were 
located upon a grant of land made by the Hud.son's 
Bay Company to Lord Selkirk, t extending along both 
sides of the Red River to about the parallel of 47 de- 
grees north latit%ide. It was supposed at the time 
that the grant was contained in the possessions of the 
English, and t the settlements were therefore made 
near the mouth of Red Lake River, or what is now 
called "La Grande Fourehe," on the "Great Fork 
of Red River." 



* Lord Selkirk died, broken in heart and fortune, in 1820, 
and in 1836 his heirs sold back to the Hudson's Bay Company 
the territory of his Colony for 84,111 English pounds sterling, 
or about $408,000. (See Justin Winsors Crit. Hist, of Amer., 
Vol. 8, p. 61.) His was a noble character. He was a real phil- 
anthropist and the most generous and disinterested man in the 
history of American colonization, but died a victim to the 
predatory selfishness of other men, that were his business rivals. 
It is not well known that in 1818 he went by land from Pem- 
bina to the mouth of the St. Peters (now the site of Meudota 
and Fort Snelling), and thence by river to St. Louis, Cairo, 
Louisville, Pittsburg, and thence overland to New York, where 
he took ship for Europe. He never saw America afterward. 

t The italicizing is by the compUer. 



Large numbers of Indians were soon attracted to 
the settlements by the presence of so many strange 
people and the display of so manj' tempting articles 
of traflBc; moreover mauy of the colony were at once 
induced to take to themselves Indian wives, and in a 
few years the half bloods that resulted from these 
connections amounted to several thousands. It was 
not until about 1820 when it was ascertained that 
these settlements had been made within the territories 
of the United States. It then became necessary for 
the traders that had settled among the people, and 
who belonged to the English trading companies, to 
remove their stores to points within the British pos- 
sessions, and they forced all the peoples who had by 
this time become dependent upon them for goods and 
supplies, to break up their settlements and remove to 
points lower down or north on the Red River. They 
now [1850] extend along both banks of the river from 
the northern frontier of the United States northward 
to the entrance of the river into Lake Winnipeg, in 
latitude 51 north. (See Pope's Report to Secy, of 
War, Senate Ex. Doc, p. 30, No. 42, in 31st Cong. 
1st Session.) 

A FEW OP THE FIRST WHITE RESIDENTS. 

Not many names can now be given of the Selkirk 
Colonists that settled on the Red River in or near what 
is now Polk County. Biyce's "History of Lord Sel- 
kirk's Colonists'' (p. 167) mentions a French family 
that afterwards was in the Colony as having been at 
"the Forks of Red River" as early as in 1811. The 
name of this family was Lajimoniere. In 1815 the 
family had joined the main colony and Mr. Lajimon- 
iere distinguished himself by carrying a packet of 
letters for Lord Selkirk from Red River to Montreal. 

Another former member of the Selkirk Colony was 
Charles Bottineau (father of the noted mixed blood 
Pierre Bottineau, who was prominently identified with 
Minnesota history'), who became a fur trader and 
lived for a considerable time near the present site of 
East Grand Forks. He had been a hunter for Alex- 
ander Henry, at Pembina, in 1803, later a partner 
with Charles Grant, at St. Joseph, and joined the 
Colony several years later. In 182 — , he had "a hun- 
dred acres in crop." (N. D. Hist. Coll., Vol. 1, p. 
304; Ross's Red River Valley, 176.) Some time after 
this he became a trader in the Gi'and Forks region. 
It is commonlj' stated that his noted son, Pierre, was 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



45 



born in the Red River Settlement, in Manitoba; but 
surviving members of his family state that the historic 
old guide, scout, pioneer, town builder, etc., was born, 
in 1810, at the trading post of his father, at Bear 
Point, on Turtle River, 12 miles northwest of Grand 
Forks, and in North Dakota. His last years were 
spent on the Red Lake River, and he died at Red Lake 
Falls in July, 1895. 

Donald McKay and Alexander McBeth, both Scotch- 
men, were two other Selkirkers who engaged in trade 
in 1821 at "the Great Forks" and on the "Red Fork." 

Joseph LaBissoniere was a French Canadian with 
a half-blood Chippewa wife, who left the Selkirk Col- 



ony and about 1830, was a trader on the lower Red 
Lake River. Prior to that time he had been a North- 
west Company trader at "La Grande Fourche," or 
the Great Fork, and had also been on Turtle River, a 
few miles to the westward. His son, Isaac LaBisson- 
iere, was born at his father's post in North Dakota 
in 1823, and died in St. Paul, in June, 1910. The fam- 
ily removed to St. Paul in 1837 and Joseph and Isaac 
lielped build the little log Catholic church at St. Paul 
in 1841. The church was called St. Paul's and the 
city took its name from it. This was the first Chris- 
tion Church building erected in Minnesota. 



1 



CHAPTER VI. 
CHIEF HISTORIC FEATURES OF EARLY TIMES. 

THE OLD RED RIVER CARTS AND TUEIR TR.4ILS — NORMAN KITTSON 's FIRST TRAIL ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE RED 

RIVER THROUGH POLK COUNTY ITS HISTORY AND LOCATION, AS MAPPED BY CAPT. POPE AND DESCRIBED BY 

OTHERS WHO TRAVELED THE ROUTE IT CROSSED THE RED LAKE RIVER VTEST OF FISHER — WAS THE TREATY OP 

1863 HELD AT THE PROPER CROSSING? THE GOVERNMENT EXPEDITION UNDER MAJOR WOODS AND CAPTAIN 

POPE TO PEMBINA IN 1849 — IT FOLLOWED THE OLD KITTSON TRAIL AND CROSSED THE RED LAKE RIVER AT THE 

OLD CROSSING, WEST OF FISHER THEY DESCRIBED THE COUNTRY NOW THE WEST SIDE OF POLK COUNTY AS 

GOOD FOR WHEAT BUT NOT PROMISING FOR CORN THE TREATIES WHICH BOUGHT THE LAND FROM THE IN- 
DIANS — THE "old crossing" TREATY HELD AT THE NEW CROSSING OP RED LAKE RIVER. 

THE RED RIVER CARTS AND THEIR OVERLAND COMMERCE, nappi pony. " A loaded cart generally contained 
Reference has been made to the passage, in former «'">"* ^^0 pounds weight. A good pony could often 
times, through what is now Polk County, of trains of '^''^''' ^"«^ ^ 1°^^ ^0 miles a day, but a slow, plod- 
two-wheeled vehicles called the Red River carts. These '^'''" ^x could not compass more than 20 miles in that 
carts were originally built wholly of wood and raw- t''"^- The axles of the cart were not greased or lubri- 
hide, not a particle of metal being used in their con- ^^^ed in any way, and the wheels turned with a dread- 
struction. The wheels were large and clumsy, being ^"1 squeaking and screeching which could be heard on 
sometimes five feet in diameter and three inches thick, ^lie open prairie for more than a mile. 



The felloes were fastened together by tongues of wood, 
and pressure in the revolutions of the wheel assisted 
in keeping them from falling apart. The hubs were 
thick and strong, the axles were all wood, and even the 
lineh-pins were wooden. A light box frame, tightened 
by wooden pegs, was fastened, also by pegs, to and 
poised upon the axle. The common price of such a 
cart was, in Manitoba, two pounds; in Minnesota, ten 
dollars. 

Each cart wai5 generally drawn bv a single ox, and 
sometimes by a tough, strong Indian pony, or "ea- 
yuse. " The animal was hitched between shafts, and 
its harness was made of i'oughl_y tanned ox hide or 
buffalo hide. This leather was called by the Red 
River Metis, or mixed bloods, "shagganappi," and 



The carts generally moved in trains. Ten carts con- 
stituted a "brigade," in charge of three men. Five 
or six or more brigades made up a train, which was 
in charge of a guide or leader, who assumed much au- 
thority. He was on horseback, rode backward and for- 
ward along the line, yelling at the drivers and those 
in charge of the extra oxen or ponies, and marshaling 
his forces in pomp, flourish, and style. He had to be 
an intelligent man, for the stopping places for the 
night, where there were plenty of grass and water; 
the time of halting and starting; the disciplining of 
the crews, and all the other details of the successful 
management of a considerable caravan were all under 
liis charge and responsibility. The history of these 
Red River cart trains which often might be likened to 



the horse that drew the cart was called a "shagga- ancient Midianitish caravans, may be briefly sketched. 

46 



COMPENDIUM OP HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



47 



Prior to 1844 the import of goods to and the export 
of furs from the Red River Colony and the trading 
posts in that quarter were made tlirough the circuit- 
ous, difficult, and uncertain Hudson's Bay route. 
This route was open and navigable practically only 
two months in the year and was beset with difficul- 
ties at all times. In 1843 Norman "W. Kittson (for 
whom both Norman and Kittson Counties were 
named) established a trading post of the American 
Fur Company at Pembina. The first season he se- 
cured about $2,000 worth of furs and buffalo robes, 
but there was the greatest difficulties in the way of 
sending them to market. He had to deliver them at 
iMendota (Fort Snelling), the headquarters of the 
Minnesota division of the Company, and formerly the 
way of transporting furs from the upper Red River 
posts to the "factory" at Mendota was up the Red to 
and through Lake Traverse, then by portage to Big 
Stone Lake, and thence down the Minnesota. But this 
method of transportation involved much hard work 
and its success depended largely upon the proper 
stage of water in the rivers. 

After due deliberation Kittson procured six of the 
rude carts which have been referred to, loaded his 
furs, and in the spring of 1844, set out for Mendota, 
which he reached after a toilsome and expensive jour- 
ney. Presumably he had six or eight men with him. 
The route he followed was that which had been taken 
by the Red River refugees when they had left the 
Selkirk Settlement for Fort Snelling; it ran along 
the west side of the Red River to Lake Traverse, then 
crossed into what is now Minnesota, thence ran to 
Traverse des Sioux, near St. Peter, and on down the 
Minnesota Valley to Mendota, or what was then com- 
monly called the St. Peter's. 

THE OLD RED RIVER C.\RT TRAIL. 

Mr. Kittson's firet ventures in cart transportation 
were failures. On the first trip he lost $600 ; and on 
his journeys the two following years he lacked over 
$1,000 in coming out even. But he was of stubborn 
Scotch courage and believed in his scheme and fol- 



lowed it up and in time a great success crowned his 
efforts. He soon realized that he had made mistakes 
and he corrected them. First, he changed his route. 
He crossed the Red River near Pembina and went 
down the east side of the river to near the mouth of 
the Otter Tail ; then he struck across by way of Otter 
Tail Lake to Sauk Rapids, on the Mississippi, near 
St. Cloud, and then it was an easy march down to 
Fort Snelling and Mendota. His carts, too, brought 
back goods and supplies for the use of his patrons and 
for the people of Pembina generally. The trail from 
Pembina down to the Otter Tail was always a few 
miles east of the river. 

The new route crossed the Red Lake River near and 
west of Fisher. This passage way was long known 
as "the Old Crossing of the Red Lake River." It 
crossed Sand Hill River near Beltrami. It passed 
through the western part of Polk County from north 
to south a distance of about 50 miles. This was called 
the "western route," to distinguish it from others. It 
was also called the Kittson Trail, the Half Breed Trail, 
and the Crow Wing Trail. One reason for its selec- 
tion by Mr. Kittson, in addition to the fact that it was 
most direct, was that it avoided the route by Big Stone 
Lake and Traverse des Sioux, the country of the Sioux 
Indians, who were in a chronic state of deadly hos- 
tility against the Chippewas, including Kittson's 
mixed-blood cart drivers. The latter were whole- 
somely in fear of their old enemies and struck against 
being employed among them. In time the upper Red 
River traders, who did business with the Sioux sent 
their trains down the Minnesota Valley and brought 
back goods and supplies. 

This route was selected by Wm. Hallett, a noted 
scout and trader of the region acting for Mr. Kitt- 
son. For a long time it served its purpose well. Maj. 
Woods and Lieut. Castor, with the dragoons of Capt. 
Pope 's party, came over it in August and September, 
1850. Capt. Pope shows it on his map accompanying 
his official report, and the map shows where Maj. 
Woods and the dragoons encamped every night. It 
crossed the Red Lake River apparently seven miles 



48 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



from the mouth. The map also shows the trail on the 
Dakota side which the partj- followed in going up, 
but lays down no other trails in the lower Red River 
than it and the one mentioned as on the east side. 
The latter is labeled by Capt. Pope as "the Half 
Breed Trail." In his report Major "Woods says as to 
the route he and the dragoons followed on the return 
from Pembina: 

The route we followed is well known and traveled 
every summer by large "trains" of carts from the 
Red River settlements. » • * "We left Pembina 
on the afternoon of the 26th of August on our return, 
and had for about 15 miles the same difficulties to con- 
tend with that we encountered going out ; but at this 
point the prairie began to improve. There had evi- 
dently not been so much rain as at Pembina, and 25 
or 30 miles farther on the roads became good and we 
traveled without any serious interruptions, averaging 
more than tiventy miles a day until we reached Fort 
Snelling the 18th of September, 1849. "We made the 
distance from Pembina to Fort Snelling, coming down, 
471 measured miles, in 231^4 days. We were 57 days 
going up. (Wood's Report, p. 21; Exec. Doc. No. 51, 
31st Cong., 1st Sess.) 

"We have other evidence that the old Kittson Trail 
was identical with the "western trail," the "old 
Crow Wing Trail," and the "Half Breed Trail" 
mapped by Capt. Pope. In 1859 the late Capt. Rus- 
sell Blakeley and others, who were engaged in open- 
ing the Red River to commerce, went from George- 
town by way of this trail to Pembina. In "Vol. 8 of 
the Minn. Hist. Socy. Collections, p. 55, Capt. Blake- 
ley says: 

• • * We resumed our journey by way of the 
old Kittson trail, the location of which can be found 
on the map of Capt. John Pope, in his report of the 
topographical survey of the Tei-ritory, in 1849. 

Other early and reliable authorities confirm the 
statement of Capt. Blakeley, that the line marked by 
Capt. Pope as the "Half Breed Trail," and which 
ran only a few miles east of Red River, was identical 
with the old "Kittson Trail," opened by Wm. Hallett 
in 1844. But this trail was at least partially aban- 
doned in about 1858 (or perhaps in 1860) and wholly 
disrused after the Civil war. 



When it was first followed, it was used only in the 
early spring, in August, and in the late fall. At such 
times the gi'ound was frozen in the spring and fall and 
dry in the late summer, and could be easily traversed ; 
at other times the muddy and swampy conditions of 
the Red River bottoms rendered this route impassable. 
In April, before the ground had thawed, the carts 
came down with the furs of the winter's hunt, and 
soon returned with supplies. In the late fall they 
came down en route to St. Paul for the trader's win- 
ter supplies. IMaj. Woods and his dragoons came 
down late in Augiist and the first part of September, 
when the rains were over, and the major says that 15 
miles from Pembina the road was good. He had sev- 
eral wagons, in which his provisions and baggage were 
transported, and thej' were easily hauled along. 

Manton Marble, a noted American journalist, for a 
long time editor of the New York World, made with a 
party, a tour of Minnesota and the northern part of 
North Dakota in the summer and early fall of 1858. 
He went down the river from Georgetown to Pembina 
on the west or Dakota side, but returned via the old 
Kittson (or Pope) trail, on the Minnesota. Appar- 
ently he crossed the Red Lake River near where Fisher 
now is. In the February, 1861, number of Harper's 
Magazine he presents a descriptive illustrated sketch 
of the crossing of the little river by his party; he 
both wrote and illustrated the article, for he was a 
good artist and an accomplished penman. He made 
a fine sketch of where his party crossed the Red Lake, 
and this sketch clearly shows a scene resembling the 
topography near Fisher, with no boulders or other 
features such as are seen near Huot, but with heavy 
timber, high banks, etc. In describing the situation, 
Mr. Marble wrote : 

Red Lake River is the largest of the tributaries of 
the Red River, excepting only the Assiniboine. 
• * * It is itself the main stream. We came to its 
banks one afternoon at the spot figured in the sketch 
here given, dined, and then attempted the passage. 
The water was higii and the river wide. By wading 
it on horseback, we soon found the easiest spot to 
cross. It was necessary to enter the stream from a 
projecting spot of land, make head against its cur- 




==?? 



THE OLD CROSSING OF EED LAKE RIVER, NEAR FISHER, IN 1858 

From a sketch made by Mauton Marble in tlie summer of 1858 aurl priuted in Harper's 

Magazine for January, 1861. 



COMPENDIUM OP HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



49 



rent for a few rods, then turn where the deep chan- 
nel was narrowest, wade through it, and keep on a long 
shallow bar to the opposite shore. The force of the 
current in the deepest part was more than any but 
a strong man could stand against; and, to wade, even 
over the shallow bar, was like forcing one's legs 
through dry sand. 

The party had great trouble in getting their cart, 
with the provisions and baggage on it, across the 
stream. The water was too deep to haul the stuff 
in the cart, and so the latter was floated across and 
the provisions and baggage carried over on the men's 
shoulders. This was on September 23 (1858), when 
the trail was dry but the Red Lake River was at a good 
stage where the crossing was made. Apparently, 
under the conditions .stated, this crossing was near 
Fisher.* 

In the early years of the decade of 1850 — say, in 
about 1855 — the Red River cart trade had increased 
to such proportions that trips had to be made at all 
seasons of the year, except in very cold weather. 
The old Kitt.son trail, on the east side of and only 
a few miles from the Red River, was practically im- 
passable during many months, by reason of watery, 
muddy, and swampy condition. At the breaking up 
of the river in the spring it overflowed its banks and 
sometimes its swollen current was more than a mile 
wide. On such occasions several Aveeks of clear and 
warm weather were required for the waters to sub- 
side and the mud to dry so that the carts could pass 
down the valley. 

Supplies were demanded by the traders at all sea- 
sons, and in almost every month, and Kittson and his 
chief lieutenant, Joe Rolette, were forced to procure 
them from Fort Snelling and St. Paul, the headquar- 



* Too late for inserting in the proper place, Hon. Win. Watts 
writes to the compiler: "There was an old trail that crossed 
Red Lake Elver about a mile west of Fisher; hut in the 
Reventies, when settlers first came this way, the survivors said 
that this trail did not seem to have been much traveled. In 
this respect, they said, it was in very marked contrast to what 
was known as the Pembina Trail, which crossed Red Lake 
River near Huot. " Of course, as the trail had been abandoned 
for at least ten years and had never been graded or otherwise 
improved, it soon fell into decay and obliteration, and to the 
settlers from 1878 to 1880 did present the aj^pearance of infre- 
quent use. — Compiler. 



ters of the Chouteau Company with which they were 
allied. A new route for the cart trains which should 
be traversable at almost any time of the year was 
demanded — and secured. Just who established it, or 
first passed over it, cannot now be .stated. Nor can it 
be said with certainty when it was established. But 
upon its definite location it ran eastward for some 
distance until it crossed the valley and then went up 
on the permanent di"y land and then went south- 
ward until after it had crossed the Red Lake, the Sand 
Hill, and other rivers to Detroit Lake, etc. Lieutenant 
Governor John Schultz, of Manitoba, went over this 
trail in 1860, and (in his pamphlet on "the Crow 
Wing Trail," in the Collections of the Manitoba His- 
torical Society for 1904) he says that it "went from 
Pembina across to the country eastward." He de- 
scribes this country as "of fine gravel ridges, running 
north and south, with willow and balsam poplar 
trees." It was said to extend from Snake to Sand 
Hill River, when another sort of country was entered 
upon. It then went successively to Detroit, Rush, and 
Otter Tail Lakes, thence eastward, along the Leaf 
River, to the Crow Wing River, and thence down the 
latter to Crow Wing. 

This new route could not have been the "old" Crow 
Wing Trail, except in part. There seems to have 
been no map made of it until in 1865. It was called 
the "Crow Wing Trail," but not the "Old" trail of 
that name for many years afterward. It was called, 
at least in later years, by Polk County people the 
"Pembina Trail." It crossed the Red Lake River near 
where is now situated the village of Huot, in the 
southwest corner of Red Lake County, whereas the 
' ' old ' ' trail crossed near the site of Fisher. From the 
upper or Huot crossing, the new trail passed through 
the central part of Polk County southward about 26 
miles, and is now part of a judicial highway. It 
crossed the Sand Hill River near Fertile, while the 
old trail crossed near the site of Beltrami. 

In addition to the two trails here mentioned. Gov- 
ernor Schultz, in the pamphlet heretofoi-e mentioned, 
says that in I860, when he explored the country, there 



50 



COMPENDIU.AI OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



were three others in this region, viz. : (1) The military, 
stage, and early Red River steamboat route, from 
St. Paul to Breekenridge and Georgetown, and then 
down the Red River to Fort Garry. (2) The Breck- 
enridge Flats route, which skirted the west bank of 
the Red River from Pembina to the junction of the 
Sioux Woo<l and the Red, crossing the latter either at 
Georgetown or Fort Abercrombie (McCauleyville), 
and then across the Breekenridge Flats to Otter Tail 
Ford, and entered tlie rolling, lake-dotted country in- 
terveniug between that ford and St. Cloud. (3) The 
mail-carriers, dog-train route, used only during the 
winter montlis. It crossed the Red River at Pembina, 
passed on to Red Lake, which it crossed on the ice; 
then from this big lake it went south, over the ice of 
many other lakes, to and across Leech Lake ; then, by 
way of sundry other lakes, all of which were crossed 
on the ice, to Crow Wing; thence down the Missis- 
sippi to Port Ripley, Sauk Rapids, and St. Anthony 
to St. Paul. Of the "old" Crow Wing trail. Gov. 
Sehultz says: 

It was opened in 1844 by Wm. Hallett for the 
trader, Norman Kittson, whose trains having been 
attacked by the Sioux when on their way to St. Paul 
via Lake Traverse and Traverse des Sioux, sought 
safety by thereafter taking the new route. Many 
miles of this trail had to be cut through the Big Woods 
country. 

As stated, in 1844, when the first cart traiu was 
composed of six carts, it carried $2,000 worth of 
furs. In 1850 the carts brought down to St. Paul 
$15,000 worth and carried back $10,000 worth of 
goods. In 1851 there came to St. Paul 102 carts, but 
in 1857 there came about 500. In 1858 there were 
612 and nearly all were from the Red River Valle.y. 
When St. Paul was laid out, in 1849, the destination 
of the carts and tlieir loads was changed from Men- 
dota to St. Paul, which had been made the capital 
of the new Minnesota Territory, and then had stores 
and shops and a big warehouse built by the Fur Com- 
pany, which then belonged to Pierre Chouteau, Jr., 
& Company, of St. Louis. In 1859 the steamer Anson 
Northup was running on the Red River between 



Georgetown and Fort Garry and it carried tons of 
furs for the Red River traders as far as to its southern 
terminus. Not all of the Polk County ti-aders patron- 
ized the cart lines, for some of them were in the Hud- 
son's Baj' Company's service and were forced to 
ship their furs to the markets of the world by the 
way of Hudson's Bay. 

In 1858 the value of furs received at St. Paul from 
all sources was $161,022, but in 1863, when the Sioux 
in Dakota were hostile, the value increa.sed to $250,- 
000 and half of the amount received came from the 
Red River Valley. (See Williams' Hist, of St. Paul, 
pp. 304 et seq.) The trade was of great advantage to 
St. Paul. Nearly all of the money paid for the furs 
on their arrival in St. Paul would be spent in the 
town, and the supply of circulating medium would 
be, at least for a time, abundant and of great value. 
And there was a valuable feature about this medium. 
The Red River men sold and bought for coin only, 
gold and silver, nearly all of American coinage, with 
occasionally English sovereigns which were in demand 
on Red River. 

It is much to be regretted that we cannot now pre- 
sent the names of the traders then living in what 
is now Polk County that were interested in the Red 
River cart trains. One fact may be derived from 
this circumstance — they did not grow rich from the 
trade or famous in any way. There is a great deal 
of misinformation extant concerning the profits made 
by the Minnesota fur traders from their transactions. 
It has been often asserted that they swindled the 
"poor Indians" shamefully out of their skins and 
pelts and made enormous profits. And yet only three 
or four of the old Minnesota traders grew wealthy. 
We well know who these men were. Norman W. Kitt- 
son was one, Henry M. Rice, Gov. H. H. Sibley, and 
Louis Robert were the others that made respectable 
accumulations. Yet these men made but very little 
comparatively out of tlie fur business. By far the 
greater part of their holdings came from their profits 
in real estate transactions. They bought Minnesota 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



51 



lauds when they were cheap and afterwards sold 
them at handsome profits. 

MAJOR wood's and CAPTAIN JOHN POPE 'S EXPEDITION 
TO PEMBINA IN 1849. 

In the summer of 1849 an expedition, half military 
and half investigatory, went from Fort Snelling to 
I'embina, made a thorough examination and a report 
thereon upon the intervening country, and gave to 
the world much information. The expedition was 
composed of about 50 men, nearly all in the military 
service. The commander was Major Samuel Woods, 
of the Sixth U. S. Infantry (from Fort Snelling), 
and under him were Second Lieut. A. D. Nelson, who 
was the expedition "s quartermaster and commissary ; 
Brevet-Capt. John Pope, of the U. S. Topographical 
Engineers, who had been directed to make a thorough 
survey of the couuti-y, and Lieutenants J. W. T. Gardi- 
ner and T. F. Castor, who were in direct command 
of 40 men of Company D of the First Regiment of 
the U. S. Dragoons, acting as escort. There were also 
Dr. Craig, a surgeon, and Basil Beaulieu, the guide, 
with some other civilians connected with the ex- 
pedition. 

Tlie chief object of the expedition was to select the 
site for two or more forts, to be built so as best to 
protect the country from the Hudson's Bay Com- 
pany's traders (who were coming upon Minnesota 
Territory and appropriating the fur trade, mainly by 
selling and giving whiskey to the Indians), and to 
put a stop to the bad practices of Hudson's Bay em- 
jiloyes, who were wont to raid upon northern Min- 
nesota and North Dakota soil and kill off the buf- 
faloes by thousands. 

The expedition took what was called "the middle 
route to Red Rivei*," and which left the. Mississippi 
at Sauk Rapids, 76 miles above the mouth of the Min- 
nesota, and intersected the Red River near its most 
southern point, at tlie mouth of the Bois des Sioux, 
or Sioux Wood River. It crossed the Red about ten 
miles north of the Sionx Wood and then pursued a 
route down and parallel with the river, on the 



Dakota or west side, to Pembina. Retui'ning Capt. 
Pope and a small party came in canoes up the Red 
River from Pembina to the Otter Tail River, thence 
up that river to Otter Tail Lake, then through that 
and other lakes and streams and by a portage to the 
Crow Wing River, down it to the Mississippi, and 
thence to St. Anthony's Falls and Fort Snelling. 

Going up, the party left Sauk Rapids June 16 and 
arrived at Pembina August 1. The trip was without 
special incident save that the mosquitoes were extra- 
ordinarily voracious and annoying, that numerous 
severe electrical storms were encountered, especially 
at Lightning Lake, and that travel was toilsome. At 
the Rabbit River the party met 25 Red River carts 
from Pembina, in charge of a member of the Selkirk 
Colony, laden with furs and pemmican, and on the 
way to the market at "St. Paul's," as the place was 
then called. Ten miles further north they met 65 
more carts, similarly laden and with the same desti- 
nation and in charge of Noimian W. Kittson, the 
trader at Pembina, and to whom all the furs men- 
tioned belonged. 

On the return trip Maj. Woods and Lieut. Castor, 
with the dragoons, passed through what is now Polk 
County from north to south. In his report Maj. 
Woods describes the country north and south of the 
Red Lake River as "naturally fine and fertile" and 
adapted to agricultural purposes, although perhaps 
"too far north for corn of the present varieties." 
Capt. Pope stopped at the mouth of the Red Lake 
River and computed the latitude to be 47 degrees, 48 
minutes, and 8 seconds north. He too was of opinion, 
"that the climate of the Valley of the Red River 
would be too severe and the seasons too short for the 
successful cultivation of corn, but all other grains 
would be produced most abundantly." The Captain 
further said that the only valid objection to the Val- 
ley as a wheat country was its distance from mar- 
ket; but, to remove this obstacle, he recommended 
that Congress make grants of land in aid of the con- 
struction of railroads from the head of navigation 
on the Red River eastward to Lake Superior and 



52 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



from the same liuad "to the Mississippi below the 
Falls of St. Anthony." He referred to the extensive 
wild rice fields in the Red Lake River region, and 
thought that large quantities of rice and maple sugar 
produced here might profitably be sent to market 
over these roads when they should be constructed. 

At the time of Maj. Wood's and Capt. Pope's ex- 
pedition the Territory of ^linnesota had been re- 
cently organized. It embraced all the country lying 
to the north and west of Iowa and Wisconsin, con- 
taining about 160,000 square miles. Capt. Pope 
noted that of this great expanse, the country lying 
west of the valleys of the St. Peter's (Minnesota) 
and the Red River, "is still unexplored." The two 
oflScers reported that the head of navigation of the 
Red River was in the vicinity of the mouth of the 
Sioux Wood River. At the latter point they recom- 
mended the establishment of a military post; but 
when Fort Abererombie was built, some nine years 
later, it Avas established several miles to the north- 
ward, on the Dakota side, nearly opposite MeCauley- 
ville. They also recommended that a post be estab- 
lished at Pembina and this was afterward done. 

During the Civil War, Capt. John Pope became a 
major general in the Union Anny ; but after his dis- 
astrous defeat at Second Bull Run he was sent to 
the Northwest to conduct the military operations 
against the Sioux Indians during the great outbreak 
of 1862. 

HOW POLK COUNTY WAS OBTAINED FROM THE INDIANS. 

The region in which Polk County is situated was, 
upon the advent of civilization in this quarter, and 
for a long time thereafter, conceded to belong to the 
Chippewa (or Ojibway) tribe of Indians. The Polk 
County country was obtained by treaties made with 
them at different times by the United States author- 
ities. 

The first treaty for the cession of the country was 
made by the old Pillager Band of Chippewas with 
Territorial Governor Alexander Ramsey, who was 
accompanied by ten other civilians, at Pembina, in 



the early autumn of 1851. Gov. Ramsey and party, 
with a military escort of 25 dragoons fi'om Fort 
Snelliug, left St. Paul August 18 and returned 
October 28. By this Pembina treaty the Chippewas 
ceded to the United States a tract on the lower Red 
River 150 miles in length by 65 miles in width, and 
which was fairly divided from north to south by that 
river. The noi-thern boundary of the cession was the 
49th parallel of latitude and the southern boundary 
was Goose River on the west side and Buffalo River 
on the east side of the Red River. The Government 
was to pay the Indians $30,000 cash in hand, and 
$10,000 a year for twenty years as the purchase price. 
But the U. S. Senate refused to confirm this treaty 
and therefore it never went into effect, to the great 
disappointment of both the Pembina settlers and the 
Pillager Chippewas. (Minn, in Three Cents. Vol. 2, 
p. 325.) 

THE TREATY OP "THE OLD CROSSING OF THE RED LAKE 
RIVER. ' ' 

Not until in 1863 did Congress order another treaty 
with the northwestern Minnesota Chippewas. This 
treaty was ordered held "at the old crossing of the 
Red Lake River." The probabilities all are that 
Congress meant the site of the treaty to be the cross- 
ing of the old Kittson Trail, the trail mapped by 
Capt. Pope, since that was the first Red River cart 
trail, the old trail of 1844. This crossing was near 
the present site of Fisher, perhaps a little to the west- 
ward. There being in 1863 two crossings of the Red 
Lake River, Congress particularly designated the 
"old" crossing as the council ground. 

Yet the treaty was not held at the "old" crossing, 
but at the crossing of the new trail, up near the site 
of Iluot, in Red Lake County. At the time that was 
the crossing best known, and probably this was the 
reason for its use. June 8, 1914, the people of the 
country celebrated the event by a large meeting at 
which appropriate exercises were held and an endur- 
ing monument placed in position. There is no ques- 
tion that this is the place where the treaty was held. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



53 



since it must be presumed that the participants in 
the celebration knew the facts and what they were 
doing. A soldier, Benjamin Dolbec, of the Mounted 
Rangers, who was present at the treaty was also pres- 
ent at the celebration. The preamble to the treaty 
says it was made at the "old crossing," but it cer- 
tainly seems that this is a mistake. 

At all events, on October 2, 1863, while war with 
the Sioux to the westward was yet being waged, the 
treaty was concluded. The Government commission- 
ers were the then Senator Alexander Ramsey and 
Ashley C. Morrill, representing the Government, and 
the Chiefs and head men of the Pembina and Red 
Lake bands of Chippewas for the cession of a large 
tract of country containing Polk County. The 
boundaries of the country so acquired were these: 

Commencing at the intersection of the international 
boundary with the Lake of the Woods; thence, in a 
southwesterly direction, to the head of Thief River; 
thence down Thief River to its mouth; thence south- 
easterly, in a direct line, toward the head of Wild 
Rice River to the boundary of a former cession (1855) 
by certain bands of Chippewas; thence along the 
boundary of said cession of 1855 to the mouth of the 
Wild Rice; thence up the channel of the Red River 
to the mouth of the Sheyenne; thence up the Shey- 
enne to Stump Lake ["Place of Stumps," otherwise 
called Lake Chicot], near the eastern extremity of 
Devil 's Lake ; thence north to the international bound- 
ary and thence eastward to the place of beginning. 

Thus the territory acquired embraced practically 
all of the Red River Valley in Minnesota and Dakota, 
except a small portion previously ceded, and was 
estimated to contain 11,000,000 acres. The treaty, 
with certain amendments, was ratified by the Senate 
March 1, 1864, the Indians assented to the amend- 
ments in April following, and President Lincoln con- 
firmed it May 5. 

As finally confirmed, the treaty provided that the 
Indians should receive for their lands ceded as above 
$10,000 annually to the Red Lake band and $5,000 
to the Pembina band, to be distributed equally per 



capita among the members of the band. The Govern- 
ment also agreed to expend annually, for fifteen years 
$8,000 for the Red Lake band and $4,000 for the 
Pembina band in the purchase of fishnet twine, dress 
goods, blankets, provisions, farming tools, etc. The 
Government also agreed to furnish each band for 
fifteen years with a blacksmith, a physician, a miller, 
and a farmer, as also $1,500 worth of steel and iron 
and other articles for blacksmithing purposes and 
$1,000 for carpentering. 

The treaty made by Ramsey and Morrill, at the 
"Old Crossing of the Red Lake River," in 1863, pro- 
vided that the Chippewa contracting parties should 
' ' not be held liable to punishment for past offenses. ' ' 
This clause referred to an incident which occurred 
at the "Old Crossing" of the Red Lake River the 
previous year, and which may here be described. 

The treaty of 1863 with the Chippewas was origi- 
nally ordered and planned to be held in August, 1862. 
In his report of Indian affairs in Minnesota for that 
year Superintendent Clark W. Thompson, says that 
the Chippewas of Red Lake and Pembina were noti- 
fied to "collect at the mouth of the Bed Lake River 
(italics compiler's), on the 25th of August, 1862." 
There they were to meet the commissioners appointed 
by the Government for their lands and the right of 
navigation of the Red River of the North. "The In- 
dians assembled at or tiear the point designated" 
(italics compiler's), says Superintendent Thompson, 
"but the Commissioners were unable to meet them." 
They had started up from St. Paul and reached St. 
Cloud on the 19th of August, and the next day re- 
ceived the news of the great Sioux uprising of that 
season, and also learned that Chief Hole-in-the-Day 
and some other Chippewas were acting menacingly 
and threateningly. The commissioners therefore 
feared to go farther up into the Indian country at 
the time, and turned back to St. Paul. 

The Indians waited until they had consumed all the 
provisions they had with them, and all they could pro- 
cure in the vicinity. Mr. Kittson was then passing 
through towards Pembina with about $25,000 worth 



r' 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



54 

of goods, a portion of which belonged to British sub- 
jects, agents of the Hudson's Bay Company. Some 
of the goods consisted of flour, canned goods, etc., 
and the hungry Indians at once seized them and every- 
thing else eatable, and finally took of the stores any- 
thing and everything they wanted. They said to Kitt- 
son that they knew he was their friend, but that for 
a long time he and other traders had traveled through 
the Indian country without paying anything for the 
privilege and they were determined that the white 
men should no longer use their trails as thoroughfares, 
unless the owners of the country, the Chippewa In- 
dians, should be paid for the trespass. They said they 
would take and use the goods before them as a part 
payment for what was due them. They finally prom- 
ised that if the United States would make a treaty 
with them, either that or the following year, they 
would consent to pay for them out of any sum prom- 
ised them in the treaty for their lands. This promise 
they kept when the treaty was made. 

The "Old Crossing" treaty provided that $100,000 
should be appropriated to the Indians to "make com- 
pensation to said injured parties [the traders that 
owned the seized goods] for the depredations com- 
mitted upon them." Some of the goods, while they 
were transported by Kittson's carts, really belonged 
to Hudson's Bay traders about Pembina. 

A subsequent treaty, made at Washington in April, 
1864, by Clark W. Thompson and Ashley C. MorriU, 
as representatives of the Government, and the chiefs, 
head men, and principal warriors of the Red Lake 
and Pembina bands of Chippewas, amended the pro- 
vision in the "Old Crossing" treaty above quoted. The 
amendment provided that $25,000 of the $100,000 
mentioned in the first treaty should be paid to the 
chiefs of the bands to enable them to purchase pro- 
visions and clothing to be used as "presents to their 
people upon their return to their homes." Of this 
$25,000 there was to be $5,000 expended for the ben- 
efit of the head chief, May-dwa-gwa-no-nind. From 
the $75,000 remaining, the injured traders and the 
steamboat people were to be paid, and then if any 



further sum remained it was to be paid for the debts 
of the Indians which had accrued since January 1, 
1859. 

Scrip for 160 acres of the land ceded by the treaty 
was, by the Old Crossing treaty, to be issued to every 
mixed blood of the bands "who has adopted the 
habits and customs of civilized life and is a citizen 
of the United States;" but this restriction as to citi- 
zenship, etc., was stricken out by the Washington 
treaty, so that any mixed blood, whether civilized or 
not, was entitled to scrip for 160 acres of the ceded 
laud as a homestead ; but if they accepted the scrip 
and located it, then it was to be "accepted by said 
mixed bloods in lieu of all future claims for annui- 
ties." 

There was to be set apart from the tract ceded a 
reservation of 640 acres near the mouth of the Thief 
River for Moose Dung, a chief of the Red Lakers, 
and a like reservation of 640 acres on the north side 
of the Pembina River, for Red Bear, a chief of the 
Pembina band. In recent years an extensive saw- 
mill was built on the Moose Dung tract and there was 
mueli litigation connected with the acquirement of the 
site. Article 6 of the "Old Crossing" treaty reads: 

The laws of the United States now in force, or 
that may hereafter be enacted, prohibiting the intro- 
duction and sale of spirituous liquors in tlie Indian 
countiy, shall be in full force and effect throughout 
the country hereby ceded, until otherwise directed 
by Congress or the President of the United States. 

This provision was not disturbed by the Washing- 
ton treaty made by Thompson and Morrill, and pro- 
hibitionists have claimed that under it no liquors can 
be sold on the great expanse of country mentioned 
in the treaty. It will be noted, however, that the 
temperance provision quoted makes no reference what- 
ever to beer or any other malt liquors, nor to wines. 

Clark W. Thompson, who signed the treaty at 
Washington, was Superintendent of Indian Affairs 
for the Northwest. For a number of yeare he lived 
at Wells, in Faribault County, and was prominent in 
Minnesota affairs. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



55 



The Indians who signed the treaty made by Ram- 
sey and Morrill at the Old Crossing were as follows : 
Moose Dung, Crooked Arm, Little Rock, and Leading 
Feather, chiefs of the Red Lake band ; Red Robe, 
Big Man, Four Skies, Falling Wind, and Berry 
Hunter, principal warriors of the Red Lake band. 
Representing the Pembina band were Chiefs Red 
Bear and Little Shell, and Warriors Wolverine, 
Joseph Gornore, and Joseph Moutreuil, the last two 
mixed bloods. 

It was Indian war time when the Old Crossing 
treaty was made, and Commissioners Ramsey and 
Morrill had a formidable military escort of infantry, 
cavalry, and artillery, all Minnesota volunteers. Some 
of the witnesses to the Indian signatures were Joseph 
A. Wheelock, the commission's secretary, afterward 
the well-known editor of the St. Paul Pioneer Press; 
Maj. Geo. A. Camp, Capt. Wm. T. Rockwood, and 
Surgeon F. Rieger, of the Eighth Minnesota Infan- 
try ; Capt. P. B. Davy and Lieut. L. S. Kidder, Com- 
pany K, First Minnesota Mounted Rangers; Lieut. 
G. M. Dwelle, Third Minnesota Battery, and Pierre 



Bottineau, the famous old mixed-blood scout. Benj. 
Dolbec, a member of Capt. Davy's Company, was 
present at both the treaty and the celebration and 
pointed out the exact site. 

At Washington and the treaty of April, 1864, the 
Indian signei's of the amended treaty were as follows : 
From the Red Lake Band, Head Chief May-dwa-gwa- 
no-nind (or One Spoken to) and Chiefs Moose Dung 
and Little Rock ; Warriors Leading Feather, the Boy, 
Falling Wind, Little Shoe, White Hair, Straight Bird, 
Makes the Earth Tremble, and Bad Boy. From the 
Pembina Band, Chief Red Bear and Warriors Equal 
Sky and Wants Feathers. The witnesses for the In- 
dians were Paul H. Beaulieu, J. G. Morrison, and 
Hon. Peter Roy, interpreters; for the United States; 
T. A. Warren, interpreter, Chas. E. Gardell, and 
Chas. Bottineau. All of the witnesses for both sides 
were Chippewa mixed bloods. 

As has been stated the treaty was held near the 
village of Huot, which was first called Louisville. 
Both names were derived from Louis Huot, the pio- 
neer owner of the site. 



CHAPTER VII. 



EARLY HISTORICAL DATA AFTER 1850. 

FIRST NATIONAL CENSUS — FROM 1850 TO 1860 — HUDSON'S BAT COMPANY RETURNS TO MINNESOTA — BUILDINQ OF 

FORT ABERCROMBIE — CREATION OF POLK COUNTY. 



In Volume II of Cooper & Company's History of 
the Red River Valley (Chicago, 1909), appears a 
chapter descriptive and narrative of Polk county. It 
may he characterized as the only historical sketch of 
the county ever published in imposing form. The 
article was written and revised by Hon. William 
Watts, of Crookston, and therefore may be regarded 
as authoritative. For Judge Watts is a long-time resi- 
dent of the county and well versed in its history from 
its beginning as an organized county, and even long 
before. It is well that he consented to write the 
article, for otherwise much of the record of the county 
would be lost and not preserved in convenient and 
permanent form. 

From the judge's valuable article several notes of 
the county's history have been extracted and used as 
data or notes for the present volume. Some of them 
have been quoted literally, but the majority have been 
used practically as texts or suggestions for comment. 
For example he speaks of the old Pembina trail, as 
' ' the route by which the Hudson 's Bay Company car- 
ried its furs and mereliandise between the Northwest 
and St. Paul in the early days," and he states that 
although the famous trail passed through Polk County 
the Bay Company had no trading post within its bor- 
ders. The fact is that the Bay Company never used 
the trail "in early days," and made but little use 
of it at any time. The trail was inaugurated in 1844 
by Norman W. Kittson (then the chief factor of Chou- 
teau & Company, of St. Louis) at Pembina, and it was 
used almost exclusively by him and his sub-agents up 
to about 1854, when he entered into partnership witli 



Major W. H. Forbes, in St. Paul, in the general Indian 

trade supply business. The organization was called 

■'the St. Paul Outfit." The Hudson's Bay Company 

first used the trail in 1858. In Harper's Magazine for 

January, 1859, the late Dr. R. 0. Sweer/ey, of St. Paul, 

wrote : 

* * * The past season over 800 Red River 
carts, loaded with furs and skins, came into St. Paul 
from those far northwestern valleys. Even the Hud- 
son's Bay Company have at last availed themselves of 
the superior facilities of the heretofore ignored routes 
to our market, by sending last season over 60 packages 
of furs and pelts, taking in return cattle, mules, and 
implements of agriculture. 

It would seem that 60 packages, or about 3,000 
pounds, would not constitute but a very small portion 
of the cargoes of the carts, for three of the screaking 
but stout vehicles could easily transport 3,000 pounds. 

FIRST NATIONAL CENSUS. 

From 1850 to 1860 there was some development and 
occupation of the countrj^ within the present limits of 
Polk county. Indeed it seems from certain known 
circumstances that settlements were made in different 
parts of the country's present area before 1850. 

In 1858, when Polk County was created by the Min- 
nesota Legislature, its declared boundaries included 
all of the now area of the county, and also the follow- 
ing described territory : All of Pennington, Red Lake, 
Mahnomen, Clearwater, and Norman Counties; the 
greater part off the north half of Clay County ; twelve 
miles of the northern part and a strip three sections 
long from north to south by one section wide off the 



56 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



57 



■west side of Becker County; the southwest part of 
Beltrami County; twelve miles off the southern part 
of Marshall County and all of the Red Lake Indian 
Reservation — an area of about 3,030 miles. 

When in 1849 and 1850 a census of the people of 
Minnesota Territory was taken whatever civilized 
population existed in this region was coi;nted in the 
returns of Pembina County, to which county what is 
now Polk then belonged. But in 1860 Polk County 
was in existence, a separate county, and in the census 
of that year it was enumerated separately. The com- 
missioner; was Oscar Taylor, of St. Cloud, who was a 
lawyer, but during the Civil and Indian Wars was a 
captain in the First Minnesota Mounted Rangers; 
later he was a member of the Legislature for several 
years and a prominent attorney of St. Cloud. His 
enumeration was made in the month of July. 

At the time of the enunciation there were four post- 
ofifices in the then Polk County, viz. : Georgetown, Rice 
River, Red River Junction, and Red Lake. Of these 
only Red River Junction, now East Grand Forks, is a 
Polk County town and post office. The population of 
the county was listed as to their post office addresses, 
and the total was 240, of which 140 males and 100 
were females. (Minnesota Year Book for 1871-1872.) 

Of course each of these post offices was the site of 
one or more trading houses and the enumerated inhab- 
itants were for the most part connected in some way 
with them. Perhaps a majority of those counted, 
especially those at Red Lake, were Indians or mixed 
bloods. The rule was to count all of white blood, and 
also all Indians and those of mixed Indian blood that 
had "adopted the habits and customs of civilization." 
This definition wa.s held to include all that had pro- 
fessed Christianity, no matter if they still went blank- 
eted and moecasined and yet dwelt in tepees and wig- 
wams. The number of the mixed bloods reported was 
S4, leaving the total white population 146. 

These figures are from the manuscript copy of the 

census, as reported by Commissioner Taylor and now 

on file in the office of Public Documents in the capitol 

building at St. Paul, and also as reported in the State 

Legislative Manual for 1871. 
4 



According to the manuscript copy of the census 
referred to the population of Red River Junction 
(now understood to be what is East Grand Forks) 
was as follows: 

"Eustace Oiner, age 30; laborer; born in Upper 
Canada. 

"Nolbert Laureance, age 20; laborer; born Upper 
Canada. 

"Martin Schulte, age 14; .servant; born Germany. 

"Charles Benoit, age 18; servant; born Lower 
Canada. 

"William C. Wil worth, age 33; engineer; value of 
real estate, $3,000; personal, $1,200; born in New 
York. His wife, Emily Wilworth, age 27; housewife; 
born New York ; his child, Jane Wilworth, age 4 ; born 
in Minnesota. 

"Wm. Peters, age 21 ; laborer; born Hudson's Bay 
Terry. 

"George W. Northrup, age 23; surveyor; personal 
property $300 ; born in New York. 

"Antoine Bellaire, age 34; laborer; his wife, Kath- 
erine, age 34, and their seven children, Antoine, age 
12; Charlotte, age 10; Mary, age 8; Eustace, age 6; 
Delict, age 5 ; Solomon, age 3, and Joseph, age 1 ; all 
mixed bloods and born in Minnesota; no property 
listed. 

"Saml. J. Painter, (?) age 39; steamboat captain; 
real estate, $3,000; personal property, $1,000; born 
Pennsylvania. His wife, Elizabeth, born Virginia, 
and their five children — Sarah Ellen, aged 11, 
Rosanna aged 9, Francis M. aged 7, and James aged 
5, were born in Kentucky, and Joel, aged 3, born in 
Jlinnesota. 

"Charles Cavileer, age 42; physician; real estate, 
$10,000; personal, $500; born in Ohio. His wife, 
Isabel, age 22; born Hudson's Bay Territory; their 
children, Sarah J. age 3, Edmund R. age 2, and Wil- 
liam McI. age two months, were born in Minnesota. 

"Jane Bruce, age 30 ; no occupation given ; personal 
property $200 ; born in Hudson 's Bay Terry. ; mixed 
blood. 

"Eliza Currier, age 16; no occupation; born Hud- 
son's Bay Territory; mixed blood. 

"Moses Currier, age 12; born H. B. Terry; mixed 
blood. 

"Albert Seargeant, age 40; merchant; real estate 
$800; personal $1,500; born New Hampshire. 

' ' Wm. Henry Morse, age 30 ; steamboat pilot ; real 
estate $10,000; personal $500. 

"Richard C. I5urdick, age 25; merchant; personal 
$1,000. His wife, Catherine, age 22; born in New- 
York. Their child, Charles, age 2, bom in Minne- 
sota. 

"Catherine Nelson, age 39; servant; born Vir- 
ginia ; negro. 

"John Bereau, age 24; servant; born Hudson's 
B. Terry." 



58 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



The whole population therefore was 40, including 
one negro and 12 mixed Woods. Total males, 25; 
females, 15. There were only 8 dwelling houses 
listed ; perhaps the Indian and mixed-blood lodges 
and shacks were not counted. The total value of 
real estate owned wa.s $26,800; personal property, 
$6,200. 

Georgetown post office reported 65 people, of wliom 
3 were mixed bloods; Rice River, 46 whites and 4 
mixed bloods; Red Lake had 4 whites (traders) and 
80 mixed bloods and one Indian, John Tombay. 

The exact residences of the people of these various 
post offices cannot here be definitely given. It is 
probable, however, tliat for the most part those of 
Red River Junction (as East Grand Forks was then 
called) lived at or near the Junction. The place 
was called Red River Junction because it was the 
junction of the R^d River with its principal tribu- 
tarj', the Red Lake. .What eventually became of all 
these Red River Junction people is not known to the 
present writer. We know that Charles Cavileer (as 
he always Avrote his name) went to North Dakota 
and laid out the town of Pembina, was its first post- 
master, and died thei-e in 1902. He was prominent 
in early North Dakota affairs and the count.y of 
Cavalier (with the reformed spelling) was named 
for him. 

George W. Northrup was from St. Paul, though a 
New York born. He led an adventurous life as a 
hunter, Indian trader, guide, etc. At one time, in 
1858, he was captain of the "Anson Northrup" 
(Minn. Hist. Coll., Vol. 8, p. 52.) In the Civil War 
he enlisted in Company C, of Brackett's Battalion, 
of cavalry, and in the Sioux battle of Khay Tah-hkali 
Koota, ("hill or mountain where we shot the 
deer") commonly called the battle of Killdeer Moun- 
tain, he charged far to the front and received ten 
Indian arrows in his body, one through his heart. 
The Indians knew him well and called him "the Man 
that Pulls a Hand Cart," because when on one occa- 
sion, when he was connected with a train of Red 
River carts, he drew one of them quite a distance. 



(See Pioneer Press, Oct. 12, 1896; Capt. Blakely, 
Minn. Hist. Soey., Coll. Vol. 8, p. 53 ; Edwd. Eggles- 
ton. Harper's :\lag. Feb., 1894.) 

FROM 1850 TO 1860. 

After the creation and organization of Minne- 
sota Territorv, in the early part of 1849, the first 
Legislature divided the territory into nine counties, 
called Washington, Ramsey, Benton, Itasca, Waba- 
shaw, Dakotah, Wahnahta, Mahkahto, and Pembina. 
At the time the ^Missouri River was the western boun- 
dary. Pembina County extended from the west line 
of Itasca to the Missouri River and from the Cana- 
dian boundary southward to the mouth of the Buf- 
falo River. It comprised generally what is now 
nearly all of the northwestern part of Minnesota 
and practically all of the present State of North 
Dakota east of the Missouri River. What is now 
and has in the past been North Dakota was for nine 
years a part of Pembina County. 

The census of that countj' in 1849 gave it a popu- 
lation of 637, of which number 295 were males. Tlie 
post-office of all these persons was given as Pembina, 
though many of them lived at what is now St. Vin- 
cent, on the east bank of the Red River, opposite 
Pembina. Of the entire population 27 persons were 
li.sted as born at Red Lake or elsewhere in "Minne- 
sota Territory," and seven were natives of other 
States. Nearly all the people were of mixed Indian 
blood. (U. S. Census Reps, for 1850; al.so N. Dak. 
Hist. Coll., Vol. 1, p. 385 et seq.) It is almost cer- 
tain that in 1849 there were white people living 
within tlie present confines of Polk, but we do not 
know who and exactly where thej' were. 

THE Hudson's bay company returns to Minnesota. 

After having its posts and agents banished from 
the United States, in 1821, the Hudson's Bay Com- 
pany confined its operations to its own territory or 
other portions of Canada. There was great ill feel- 
ing by the American traders against the traders and 
posts of the great English coi-poratioii. Tlie agents 



COMPENDIU.AI OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



59 



of this corporation seem to have been always rapa- 
cious and they became unscrupulous and bold. They 
sought every means to capture and secure the Indian 
trade in the northern part of the United States west 
of Lake Superior and as far south of the interna- 
tional boundary as possible. They supplied the In- 
dian hunters freely with whisky, during the trading 
seasons, induced hundreds of them to come over to 
Canada to trade and even to sell their furs to the 
company's servants at points within the United 
States. They frequently came upon trading excur- 
sions up the Red River and often were at Red Lake, 
always bringing whisky. They were not allowed 
under an English law to "sell" ardent spirits to 
the liquor-loving Indians, but it was held that "ex- 
changing" these beverages for furs was not selling! 

All along during the decade of 1840, and in the 
early part of that of 1850, Norman Kittson, Joe 
Rolette, and other American traders in this quarter 
had complained often and vehemently of the injuries 
done thera by the Bay Company's traders and hunt- 
ers. They said that in addition to seducing the 
Indian trade away from them, the company's men 
habitually raided wliat is now the northern part of 
North Dakota and killed and drove off so many buf- 
faloes that often there was a meat famine among 
the Teton and Mandan Sioux and the Assiniboines, 
Crees, and Cbippewas, upon whom the traders de- 
pended for patronage. 

In the winter of 1849 Kitt.son and Henry M. Rice 
— the latter having a number of trading houses in 
the Chippewa country — made .strenuoiis efforts to 
stop the predatory incur.sions upon their preserves. 
Kittson wrote to Delegate Sibley : ' ' The tradei's of 
the Hudson's Baj' Company have, during a few 
months past, been engaged extensively in intro- 
ducing liquor among the Indians within our limits." 
Rice wrote to Gen. Fletcher, agent for the Winne- 
bagoes : 

"The agents of the H. B. Co. brought a large 
quantity of ardent spirits to their depot at Rainy 
Lake, and at the time the Indians were gathering 



their last wild rice crop they .sent a quantitj' of liquor 
within our boundary and gave it to our Indians in 
exchange for rice. I have ample and positive pi'oof 
of this. It is impossible to take provisions to these 
remote posts, and the traders and employees are 
compelled to live on wild rice and fish ; the rice they 
purchase from the Indians. The object of the H. B. 
Co. was to secure all of the surplus rice so tliat my 
men would be compelled to abandon the country. 
They well know that, with the advantage of whisky, 
they can break down any opposition." 

And February 12, 1849, Gen. Fletcher wrote to 
Hon. Wm. Medill, comuiissioner of "Indian Affairs." 

"The object which the British traders have in sup- 
plying the Indians with ardent spirits is to break 
down the American traders. They annoy and dis- 
commode our traders b.y purchasing with whisky all 
the surplus provisions the Indians have, but they 
injure our traders most by preventing them from 
obtaining furs. While tlie Indians can obtain liquor, 
they will not hunt and obtain furs, and having no 
money nothing can be made out of trade with them. 
About 20,000 buffalo are killed annually within the 
country occupied by the Sioux and Chippewa In- 
dians south of our northern boundary by half breeds 
from the British side of the line. One-third of the 
Red River Canadians subsist on buffalo killed on the 
American side of tlie line. The destruction of the 
buffalo is a heavy tax on our Indian.s, especially the 
Sioux." 

These descriptions of conditions induced the au- 
thorities at Washington and the expedition of Maj. 
Woods and Capt. Pope, of 1849, was resolved upon. 
In his instructions to Maj. Woods for the conduct 
of the expedition, Adjutant General R. Jones in- 
structed him, among other things, to observe and 
report upon the condition of the Indians at Pem- 
bina and the Red River Valley, and particularly to 
report "the influence exerted on them by the Hud- 
son's Bay Company by ti'ade, present, and other- 
wise." In asking President Taylor for the expedi- 
tion, Hon. Thomas Ewing, Secretary of the Interior 
— which ofSce had been newly created — stated that 
the great evils committed upon northern Minnesota 
by the Hudson's Bay agents ought to be at once 
"corrected and prevented in the future." Among 
other suggestions he proposed that a moderate por- 
tion of the then Indian country, near the boundary 



60 



COJIPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



I 



line, and "upon the Red River of the North" be 
speedily acquired by treaty and purchase. This 
tract of country so acquired he thought ought to be 
"opened to actual settlement, for which it is repre- 
sented to be well adapted." On the tract he would 
place "a body of citizens ready, not only to observe 
our laws respecting intercourse with the Indians, but 
willing and able to prevent further violations of them 
or incursions into our territory by those connected 
with the British settlements north of the boundary." 

The Secretary wrote April 4, 1849, and on the 
6th of June following the expedition left Fort 
Snelliug. 

But for some time after the Woods and Pope ex- 
pedition to Pembina the trespasses of the Hudson's 
Bay Company continued; not until 1857, after they 
had been allowed to establish their own posts on 
American soil. Gradually, however, they ceased 
almost entirely. 

In 1857 the Hudson's Bay Company decided to 
abandon York Factory, its station and principal port 
of entry at the mouth of Nelson River, at Hudson's 
Bay. Soon after it completed arrangements with 
the U. S. Secretary of the Treasury whereby goods 
for the company and for the former Selkirk eoloni.sts 
might be carried in bond through the United States 
via St. Paul, Minnesota, and the Red River of the 
North. (N. D. Hist. Coll., Vol. 3, p. 552.) Trade 
with the Red River Valley now grew rapidly. Posts 
of the Bay Company, bj^ permission of the United 
States, were established at various points on the 
river. In 1860 Mr. Kittson sold out all his interests 
in the Red River fur trade to his former unprin- 
cipled rival and oppressor, the Bay Company, and 
became its agent, eventually establishing a line of 
steamboats and barges called the Red River Valley 
Transportation Company. 

BUILDING OP FORT ABERCROMBIE. 

The establishment of Fort Abercrombie, although 
on the Dakota .side of the river, was another event 
of importance in the history and development of the 



Red River Valley. Its location was determined upon 
in 1857, but it was built chiefly in 1858 and 1859. 
Its location was determined by the reports and rec- 
ommendations of ^Maj. Woods and Capt. Pope, after 
their expedition to Pembina in 1849. Work was 
commenced upon the buildings in the spring of 1858, 
and the first structures were log cabins. It was 
named for Col. John J. Abercrombie, then lieutenant 
colonel of the Second U. S. Infantry, and detach- 
ments of that regiment constituted the first garrison. 
In June, 1858, a private expedition, of which 
Maiiton JIarble, the accomplished writer and artist, 
was a member, visited Fort Abercrombie on a trip 
to Pembina and beyond. On page 306 of Harper's 
Magazine for August, 1860, appears a sketch by Mar- 
ble of the incomplete fort as it was in June, 1858, 
with the little log caliins as the soldiers' (juarters, 
etc. Below the sketch is a printed description by 
Mr. Marble from which the following is an extract: 

"North of Graham's point (12 miles) as we round- 
ed a turn of the river, whose wooded margin had 
concealed it from us hitherto, we came in sight of 
Fort Abercrombie — that is, of the one building 
erected for the commander's quarters and the canvas 
storehouses, which are built upon the prairie near 
the river bank. The log houses or quarters which 
otficers and privates at present occupy are all built in 
a quadrangle upon a pear-shaped promontory, look- 
ing west toward the prairie." 

The Government records show tliat Lieut. Col. 
Abercrombie arrived with the first detehmeut of his 
troops in August, 1857. (Sec. War Rep. Cong. Series 
No. 943, p. 354.) But the fort was not fully com- 
pleted for .several years later. The object of its build- 
ing at the time the work commenced was not the pro- 
tection of the American traders against the agents of 
the Hudson's Bay Company, since at that time the 
latter, by permission of and license from the Ameri- 
can authorities, had their posts everywhere through 
the Valley and practically controlled, without protest 
or objection, the trade of the region. The object was 
to protect and encourage the pioneers that were com- 
ing into western Minnesota to take advantage of the 
offer by the Government of new lands in that quarter. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



61 



Probably, too, the building was secured by the associa- 
tion of Northern and Southern Democrats, some of 
whom were Senator Henry M. Rice and Henry T. 
Welles, of Minnesota; John C. Breckinridge and 
Beriah Magoffin, of Kentucky ; Robert Toombs, of 
Georgia ; George B. Clitherall, of Alabama ; Jefferson 
Davis, of Mississippi, and probably Dr. Archibald 
Graham, of Virginia. Some of the operations in Min- 
nesota of these gentlemen are noted elsewhere. 

But in July, 1859, the fort was temporarily aban- 
doned. Ou the 25th Capt. N. H. Davis, Second U. S. 
Infantry, with one company of that regiment, aban- 
doned the po.st, leaving it in charge of a military store- 
keeper. The reason assigned was that there was no 
longer any danger to Americans or American inter- 
ests in that quarter. The abandonment was not for 
very long. In June, 1860, it was re-occupied by three 
companies of the Second Infantry, under Capt. Gard- 
ner and was garrisoned thereafter until in 1877, when 
it was discontinued as a military post. 

The establishment of Fort Abercrombie was of great 
assistance in the development of Polk County and 
all of the other portions of the Red River Valley. Set- 
tlers were induced to come to the country in the belief 
that the fort would be a refuge and a rendezvous in 
case of Indian trouble, and that no serious danger 
need be feared from the savages. It was due largely 
to the representations of Henry T. Welles, through 
Senator Henry M. Rice, that a garrison was ordered 
re-established in the summer of 1859. The associa- 
tion which he represented had laid out the town of 
Breekenridge and wanted to sell lots therein, as well 
as to dispose of their lauds in the vicinity, and the 
occupation of the fort by 300 soldiers would give con- 
fidence in the situation to would-be investors and spec- 
ulators. (For a good and authentic sketch of Fort 
Abercrombie see Part 2, Vol. 2, No. Dak. Hist. Socy. 
Coll.) 

CREATION OF POLK COUNTY. 

The creation of Polk County was brought about by 
a strange set of influences and circumstances. In 



1856-57, while Henry M. Rice was in Washington, as 
delegate in Congress from Minnesota Territory, he 
formed a sort of business alliance, as he had some time 
before formed an intimate friendship with certain 
prominent Southern men, the most of whom were 
members of Congress. Some of these men were Jeffer- 
son Davis, Secretary of War in 1856 ; John C. Breck- 
inridge, Vice President ; James Buchanan, President, 
both from 1857 to 1861 ; Robert Toombs, of Georgia, 
U. S. Senator, and Beriah Magoffin, later Governor of 
Kentucky. 

Mr. Rice had long possessed great influence and 
control over a faction of the Democratic party in Min- 
nesota Territory. Through his control of the Terri- 
torial Legislatures he succeeded in having Minnesota 
counties named from time to time in honor of his 
Southern friends and associates. Davis County (now 
partly Swift County) was named for Jeff. Davis; 
Toombs County (now Wilkin) for Robert Toombs, 
and Breekenridge (now Traverse, etc.) for the Vice 
President, all ultra pro-slavery men. Then two coun- 
ties, Polk and Pierce, were named for ex-Democratic 
Presidents, and one for the existing President, James 
Buchanan. All of these Southern statesmen, except 
President Polk, had been of valuable personal .service 
to Mr. Rice and were greatly pleased at the rare com- 
pliment involved in the naming of counties for poli- 
ticians of others. It is probable that Mr. Rice lost 
nothing by his courtesy. 

But the bestowal of the name of James Knox Polk 
upon a Minnesota county was proper and befitting. 
It is understood that his last official act as President, 
at 11 :45 P. M., March 3, 1849, was his signing of the 
bill creating Minnesota Territory ; he died at his home, 
Nashville, Tennessee, June 15 following. When Gen. 
Sibley, who was Delegate in Congress from what by 
courtesy was called "Wisconsin Territory" and was 
pushing the bill for the creation of Minnesota, it was 
understood that all along he had the sympathy of 
President Polk. It was unfortunate that he did not 
live to see the Territory which he helped to create be- 
come a magnificent commonwealth of the Union. He 



62 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



was but 54 when he died, having been born in North 
Carolina in November, 1795. His home was in Ten- 
nessee after he was eleven years old. He served in 
Congress fourteen years and was Speaker of the 
House from 1835 to 1839, He was Governor of his 
State from 1839 to 1841. The Democrats nominated 
him for President in 1848 and he was elected over the 
great Henry Clay by a majority of 40,000 of the popu- 
lar vote and of 70 in the electoral college. He de- 
clined a second term. He advocated the war against 
Mexico and was an efficient President during that 
contest. But he was opposed to wars in general, and 
it was largely his great influence during his adminis- 
tration which prevented war with Great Britain in 
1846 over the Oregon question — a war of which many 
unwise Americans were decidedly' in favor — and when 
he was in Congress he and some other Congressmen 
prevented a war with Spain. He was a man of pure 
and high character and personally popular. This 
county need be well satisfied with its name. 

Polk County was created by the first State Legis- 
lature of Minnesota in the summer of 1858; it was 
approved by Governor Sibley July 27. From the 
Legislative Journals it is learned that the bill was 
introduced in the House of Representatives and was 
known as House File No. 303. It established the coun- 
ties of Pembina and Polk and was so entitled. It is 
difficult to learn who was the author of the bill, since 
the Legislative Journals are without indexes; proba- 
bly it was Hon. John N. Chase, the Representative 
from the Pembina district, which was the 22d and 
was composed of Todd, Cass, and Pembina Counties. 
The act passed the House some time in the first weeks 
of July and the Senate July 13. In the latter body 



the votes were 23 for and 3 against. Those against 
were Senators Michael Cook (for whom Cook County 
was named), H. L. Thomas, and George Watson. 
What their objections were is not known. 

The boundaries of the county as originally estab- 
lished commenced at the southwest corner of Pembina 
County, opposite the mouth of Turtle River and run- 
ning up the Ri'd River to tlie mouth of the Buffalo 
River, or Georgetown ; thence eastwardly up the Buf- 
falo along tlie northern boundary of Breckenridge 
County, and then along the nortJiern boundary of 
Becker Country to the southeastern extremity of Lake 
llasea; then north and east up the Mississippi to its 
intersection with the county's eastern boundary line, 
at the northeastern extremity of Cass Lake; thence 
due north to the southern boundar}- of Pembina Coun- 
ty, and then due west to the point oppcsite the mouth 
of the Buffalo River, the place of beginning. 

The county seat of Polk County was temporarily 
located at Douglass, and that of Pembina County at 
St. Vincent. According to Sewall's map of Minnesota 
for 1860, Douglass was located on the Red Lake River, 
at the new crossing, or where the new Pembina trail 
crossed the river, and where the Ramsey treaty of 
1863 was held. The present site is called Iluot P. 0., 
and consists of one house, which stands in the south- 
western part of Red Lake County. Douglass was orig- 
inallj^ a trading post belonging to the Hudson's Bay 
Company. A town was laid out here in 1858, but it 
does not seem to have made any progress. No at- 
tempt at formally organizing Polk County was made 
until in 1872, and the Legislature did not declare the 
county fully organized until March 3, 1873, fifteen 
vears after it had been created. 



CHAPTEE VIII. 
HISTORICAL ARTICLES OF THE EARLY SETTLEMENT. 

REMINISCENCES OF THE SETTLEMENT OP POLK COUNTY, BY ELIAS STEENERSON — E. M. WjiJLSH'S DESCRIPTIONS OP PI- 
ONEER BUSINESS LIFE LUMBERING OPERATIONS IN POLK COUNTY, BY T. B. W^UjKER — EARLY BUSINESS ENTER- 
PRISES, BY E. D. CHILDS GENESIS OF THE PRESENT HISTORY OP POLK COUNTY, WITH A GENERAL DESCRIPTION 

OF THE county's RESOURCES, BY N. P. STONE, HISTORIAN OF THE POLK COUNTY OLD SETTLERS' ASSOCIATION — 
HISTORY OF THE CATHOLIC PARISH OP ST. PETER, GENTILLY, MINN., BY REV. E. THEILLON THE MARAIS COM- 
MUNITY, BY PETER ALLAN GUMMING ; ITS EARLY PERMANENT SETTLEMENT, ITS PROGRESS AND PRESENT CONDI- 
TION — FIRST PERMANENT SETTLER.S — THE CHURCHES SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS. 



E'EMINISCENCES OF THE SETTLEMENT OF POLK 
COUNTY, BY ELIAS STEENERSON. 

If the history of Polk County begins at the time 
when it became first occupied by actual and perma- 
nent settlers, it can be said to begin in June, 1871. 
It is true that W. C. Nash settled at East Grand Forks 
in 1870, but he belongs to the earliest pioneers of the 
Valley, having come here as a military man and mail 
carrier, contractor, and Indian trader, and, while we 
crown him as the oldest and earliest settler of Polk 
County, we shall date the real settlement of Polk 
County one year later. 

It is also proper here to mention another name, 
that of the really celebrated French mixed blood, 
Pierre Bottineau, who was born in the Red River Val- 
ley, and as early as 1830 traveled over Polk County 
as trapper, scout, and messenger. After residing at 
various other points in Minnesota, he finally settled 
near Red Lake Falls, Polk County, in 1876. He was 
instrumental in bringing to Polk County a large num- 
ber of French settlers, who established what was then 
known as the French Colony. 

SOME FIRST ACTUAL SETTLERS. 

Barring the exceptions stated, the first settlers of 
Polk County are, in the order named, the following: 
Levi Steenerson, Ole Estenson and family, Ole 0. 
Estenson, Peter 0. Estenson, Esten 0. Estenson, Peter 



0. Setermoe, Ole Jevning, ToUif Ose, Knut Steener- 
son, Henry Simon, Paul Simon, GuUek Spokley, 
Salve Spokley, Tollef Tollefson, Jorgen Knutson, John 
Bremseth, Peter Jacobson, and John Sundet. This 
was in June, 1871; all were "squatters" on lands 
along the Red River, extending for a stretch of about 
twelve miles, and on both sides of Sand Hill River. 
The land was not surveyed, and each of the settlers 
had plenty of elbow room. They agreed among them- 
selves as to boundaries, and each sought to secure a 
large proportion of timber, which stood in abundance 
along the river bank, the sheltered bends forming 
ideal building places. 

telemarken and osterdalen. 

These settlers constituted two groups or parties. 
Those settling south of Sand Hill River were acquaint- 
ances from Houston County, Minnesota; but most of 
them came originally from Telemarken, Norway. 
Those to the north of the Sand Hill were acquaint- 
ances from Freeborn County, Minnesota, and origi- 
nally came from Osterdalen, in Norway. The settle- 
ments became known among the Norwegians as 
Telemarken and Osterdalen. 

These settlers' chief occupation, for a number of 
years, was stock raising, both on their own account 
and on shares, or for pay from the Hudson's Bay 
Company. Agriculture was conducted on a compar- 



63 



64 



COMPFA'DH'M OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



atively small scale, as the markets were not developed, 
and, besides, the grasshoppers harvested what they 
did put in during the hrst two or three years. Fish- 
ing for catiish was quite an industry among the set- 
tlers those days. 

THE IRISU, TUB BYGLAND, THE SCOTCH, AND THE 
STAV ANGER SETTLEMENTS. 

As time went on each of these pioneers corre- 
sponded with friends in other localities, who soon came 
and located near them, and thus the settlements grew 
at a remarkably rapid rate, the Irish, the Bygland, 
the Scotch, and the Stavanger Settlements. North of 
the Osterdalen Settlement, came several Irish fami- 
lies, and located what is called the Irish Settlement. 
They came there soon after, but the same j'ear as the 
Osterdalens, and among them were Peter Genaw, 
Barney Haggerty, Mike Quirk, Patrick Quigley, 
Thomas and John Logan, John Garrety, and Mathew 
Martin. 

North of the Irish Settlement, and for a stretch 
of about twelve miles, is the settlement known as 
Seterdalen. The first man to settle there was Daniel 
Ose, in June, 1872, and the next was his brother-in- 
law, Knute Ose, who took land near him in August 
of the same year. These two Oses had been induced 
to come by Tollef Ose, who was one of those who took 
land along the Sand Hill River in 1871, and became 
neighbor and partner to Levi Steenerson, who was 
engaged in teaming and contracting for the Hudson's 
Bay Company. He was interested in developing the 
County, and saw the opportunities for emigrants to 
soon become independent land owners in this new 
country. He advised them to come and locate, which 
they did, and they became the nucleus for that set- 
tlement, which grew very rapidlj', and when it was 
organized into a town was named Bygland, after the 
town in Norway where the Oses came from. 

That part of Polk County which is now Norman 
County, from near Georgetown, on Wild Rice River, 
to north of Marsh River, was settled about the same 
time as the Sand Hill country, only a little later in 



the summer. Among the first there were Joe Grotte 
and his three sons, Joseph, Nicholas, and Albert. 
Peter, John, and Tonnes Efterlaud, Andrew B. Lar- 
son, Lars B. Larson, Andrew Thompson, L. Hender- 
son, H. L. Gorden, Ole Halstad, R. and N. R. Hage, 
and L. L. Hauske. The majority of these immigrants 
were from Fillmore County, and originally from Sta- 
vanger, Nonvay, wherefore it was frequently called 
the Stavanger Settlement. 

The Norwegian stream of emigrants seems to have 
stopped at Red Lake River, as there we find the Scotch 
in possession in the same year, represented by such 
hardy pioneers as Robert and John Coulter, James 
Thomas, Robert Nisbet, and William Flemming, who 
were soon followed by their friends and acquaintances 
until the Scotch element also had a fair foothold in 
the virgin soil of Polk County. 

PIONEERS NEAR CROOKSTON. 

In 1872 parties began to locate on the Red Lake 
River near Crookston. Among the first there were 
found Bernard Sampson, E. M. Walsh, Peter Cor- 
nelius, Christian Sather, John Darko, Delos Jacobus, 
Wm. Stewart, James Greenhalgh, E. C. Davis, N. P. 
Johnson, John Christianson, P. J. LaChapelle, and 
Richard Hussey. They were attracted by the rail- 
road survey which located the crossing at the pres- 
ent site of Crookston. 

The Danes and Swedes, not to be outdone, also put 
in appearances. Of the Danes we recall Hans P. 
Johnson, Nels P. Johnson, L. P. Johnson, Ole Chris- 
tiansen, C. C. Tygesen, and of tlie Swedes, Nels Wood- 
strom, Nels and Andrew Malmberg, Olof Erickson, 
and August Peterson. 

DELAY IN RAILROAD BUILDING MADE DISTRESS. 

On account of the financial panic of 1873, the rail- 
road was not completed when expected and the set- 
tlers, for a number of years, were doomed to disap- 
pointment and great hard.ships. The settlers along 
the Red River were better off, beeaiise in summer 
time the steamboats plied the river as far as Moor- 



COMPENDIUJI OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



65 



head in early spring, and to Frog Point (now Bel- 
mont), later in the season. In low stages of water, and 
in the winter time, the Hudson's Bay Company main- 
tained a stage line on the Dakota side, and trading 
posts at points ten or twelve miles apart, thus keeping 
up communication between St. Paul and Winnipeg 
the year around. 

fisher's landing fiest commercial point. 

The projected and partly built St. Paul & Pacific 
Railroad was, during the years following, patched up 
so as to carry traffic between Fisher and Glyndon 
where it connected with the Northern Pacific, which 
was in operation between Duluth and Moorhead. Fish- 
er's Landing was head of navigation on Red Lake 
River, and there connected with the steamboats run- 
ning up Red River from Winnipeg. Thus a traffic was 
established, via Crookston, between St. Paul and Win- 
nipeg, which afforded the settlers relief to a consider- 
able degree. Although in winter they were barred out 
of this communication with the outside world, it did 
not cause such disappointment as at first, as it was all 
understood before hand, and all were prepared for this 
condition. 

These conditions prevailed until 1880, and during 
that time Fisher's Landing was the leading business 
point in the county. In the early seventies the influx 
of settlers was rather slow, on account of the ravages 
of the grasshoppers and the unsettled condition of 
railroad building. It will be remembered that this 
was the period following the financial panic of 1873 
and the failure of Jay Cooke & Company, who were 
the chief promotors of the Northern Pacific and other 
railroads of this country at the time. 

FIEST SETTLERS WKRE PRE-EMPTORS OR SQUATTERS. 

Up to 1876 the settlement of the county extended 
very little more than has already been mentioned. 
That is to say, it was settled along the streams; the 
Red River, the Sand Hill River, and the Red Lake 
River as far up as a few miles above Crookston ; the 
prairie was unoccupied and in its wild stage. The 
lands were not surveyed until 1874, so that up to that 



time the settlers were merely squatters. It then became 
known where they were "at," and from that time 
there were Government regulations to follow. 

The Railroad Company had a grant of every odd 
section for twenty miles from the Red River east, ex- 
tending from Marsh River to the Canadian Line, and 
this was in dispute in some way so that it could not 
be sold, but the company recognized the first applicant 
to purchase, by acknowledging his application on a 
postal card, stating that the application had been re- 
ceived and placed on file and would receive first 
consideration when placed on the market, which would 
be when a decision on the validity of the grant had 
been reached. While this was all right, these condi- 
tions made events uncertain, and did not tend to boost 
things. In a few years, however, this uncertainty 
came to an end as the railroad company secured a 
favorable decision and put their lands on the market 
at very reasonable terms, and they went like "hot 
cakes." It was not long until the prairies were set- 
tled, as well as the timbered stretches along the 
streams. Up to this time the country was mainly a 
grazing country, but now it began to take on a difl:'er- 
ent aspect. The St. Paul & Pacific Railroad had come 
into the hands of men familiar with the Red River 
Valley, of whom N. W. Kittson and J. J. Hill were 
leading spirits, and the master hand of the now famous 
financier was soon in evidence. The St. Paul & Pacific 
Railroad became the St. Paul, Minneapolis & Mani- 
toba Railroad, and in 1880 was completed to Grand 
Forks. 

THE PERIOD OP REAL DEVELOPMENT. 

The years 1878 and 1879 were the real beginning of 
the development of the Red River Valley. During 
this period the railroad lands were placed on the 
market at the rate of $5.00 per acre, but rebated at 
the rate of $2.50 per acre for breaking three-fourths 
of it, and an additional rebate of fifty cents per acre 
for cropping it, so that a quarter section of land cost 
only $440, and no residence was required. It was 
fully as good terms as on Government land; an addi- 
tional charge, however, was placed on land with tim- 
ber on it. 



66 



COMPENDIU.M OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



This method encouraged the men on the railroad 
lands to break up the land and farm it, and produce 
freight for the railroad to handle, which was of im- 
portance to the railroad company, in order to show 
the financiers of the East that the railroad traversed 
a rich country which would afford traffic sufficient 
to produce profits on its investment. The plan worked 
out to full realization for the railroad company, and 
it was not long until all its lands were sold and the 
wheat came into the loading stations so fast that they 
were unable to take care of it for want of cars and 
elevators. The railroad company then arranged with 
elevator companies to build elevators, and gave them 
preference over track-buyers and flat-houses by de- 
clining to furnish the latter with ears, and thus forced 
the wheat into the elevators. This was a justifiable 
proposition, probably, from the standpoint of the rail- 
road company, but it was a bitter pill for the grain 
growers to swallow, and led to a strife between the 
farmers and the railroad company. The farmers 
finally made their demand a State issue, resulting in 
legislative enactments tending to relieve the conditions 
and to establish the principle of State control of rail- 
roads, which recently has been confirmed to the fullest 
extent by the United States Supreme Court. 

It is interesting to recall the stages of development 
of this great Valley. First, we find it a stock country, 
necessarily so on account of the natural conditions. 
Transportation was of the crudest kind, mostly by 
ox teams over poor roads and across unbridged 
streams. The early settler lived snugly along the 
river bank, well sheltered by tall timber, in which 
he had a cluster of log buildings, used as dwelling 
and stables. He had a large herd of fat, sleek cattle, 
fed exclusively on prairie hay, which had been gath- 
ered on the vast unsettled prairie with a hand scythe 
and pitchfork, and which, possibly on account of its 
having been produced on virgin soil, may have con- 
tained a large amount of nutrition, which enabled the 
cattle to grow fat on it to the exclusion of other food. 
Unrestricted freedom was enjoyed by the pioneer; 
there was no encroachment bv near neighbors and he 



hud unlimited range for his cattle in summer time, 
with abundance of timber for building and for fire- 
wood. These were comforts which to some degree 
overcame the many hardships of the Red River Valley 
pioneer. 

Then a change came. The prairie began to be set- 
tled and opportunities for raising stock began to 
diminish. Claim shanties began to appear on former 
meadows and pasture lands. Soon there were seen 
men driving two ox teams abreast before a breaking 
plow, turning down the green grass and turning up 
the black soil, making a field at the best rate of speed 
then known. Then some lands would be fenced, and 
soon the hitherto bleak expanse was dotted with 
shacks and well covered by fenced fields. 

These conditions produced two classes of farmers — 
those who wanted an open range, and thase who 
wanted each one to pasture his own cattle. This 
question was at one time a burning one in this com- 
munity, and a spirited election to decide it was once 
held in the towni of Vineland, as there was at that 
time local option by the towns on such questions. The 
party that favored pasture law was defeated, greatly 
to their disappointment, as they were anxious to 
extend their wheat fields. When the next Legislature 
passed a herd law for the State, there were those who 
attributed it to the railroad company, which, they 
said, was encouraging the grain growing to the great- 
est extent possible. This State herd law removed one 
of the main barriers of progress to the prairie farmers. 
The stock man adjusted himself to the new conditions, 
and soon the i-ailroad coiiipanios were flooded with 
wheat ; and then they began to agitate for more stock 
raising by the farmers. This is a question which still 
puzzles many wise heads, and is yet to be adjusted, 
according to professional critics, in a better manner 
than now prevalent. 

DRAINAGE AN IMPORTANT FEATURE OP DEVELOPMENT, 

Drainage became of utmost importance, especially 
so in the southeastern part of the county. The Sand 
Hill River lost itself on the flat country near Beltrami, 



COMPENDIUM OP HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



67 



and created a vast tract of wet land known, as the 
Beltrami Swamp, extending from near Marsh River, 
south of Beltrami, to west of Fisher, a distance of 
about twenty-four miles, with a width of about six to 
ten miles. The channel of Sand Hill River was com- 
pletely obliterated for ten miles across this swamp, 
and came out again about four miles east of Red 
River, where it again regained its channel, with high 
banks fringed with fine timber, and having a fall of 
several feet to a mile, sufficient to create fine water 
power. The towns of Vineland and Hubbard were 
isolated from P'isher, Crookston, and Ada. From the 
points where its railroad was running it was neces- 
sary, in order to reach Fisher, to travel around this 
swamp, making the distance twenty-five miles, in place 
of fifteen miles straight across, and the same would 
hold good in order to reach Crookston. We were haul- 
ing our wheat with oxen which traveled about two 
miles per hour, so it can be imagined that it was an 
annoying situation, and a continuous temptation to 
liavel straight across; but if any one was rash enough 
to yield to the temptation he nearly always met with 
disaster by getting stuck in the mire. Imagine the dis- 
gust and despair of a gi-auger who, with his ox team 
and load of wheat, would get stuck in the mire everv 
forty rods for a distance of more than six miles (and 
having to unload and carry the grain sacks on his back 
across each time), and the desire it would incite in the 
mind of such granger for better roads and better 
drainage, and how he would highly resolve to pro- 
mote such a reform! 

It was to some extent due to this situation that 
the matter of drainage was finally taken up by the 
State. During the fall of 1879 a mass meeting was 
called in the Sand Hill Settlement for the purpose 
of seeing what could be accomplished with regard 
to opening the channel of Sand Hill River, and also 
to secure a road across to Crookston, the county seat. 
The secretary of the meeting was instructed to com- 
municate with the county commissioners and the 
St. Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba Railroad Company 



with a view to get aid from them to further the enter- 
prise. This resulted in a call for a drainage conven- 
tion, which was held at Crookston in a skating rink 
located on the comer where the federal building now 
stands. At that convention it was decided to ask the 
State for an appropriation for a drainage survey, and 
J. J. Hill pledged one third of the cost. At the next 
Legislature the appropriation was made and later fol- 
lowed up by appropriate legislation on the subject, 
until a system of drainage had been installed which 
has been of incalculable benefit to our county and 
State. 

Where parties in 1877 maintained a muskrat camp, 
and the writer partook of a dish of muskrat soup, 
he, in 1907 established a route and located boxes for 
rural free mail delivery, and this land today is grow- 
ing as fine a crop as any other tract in the county, 
and fine automobile roads traverse it in all directions.' 
Fine frame dwellings and barns can now be seen 
where in early pioneer days ducks and geese were 
swimming among the weeds. The fine dwellings and 
barns now throughout our county present a great 
contrast to the structures of 1871 to 1878. 

A TYPICAL FIRST-CLASS PIONEER DWELLING. 

The writer had a log house ten by twelve feet on 
his homestead in section six, township one hundred 
forty-eight, range forty-eight; it was covered with 
elm bark, with turf on top of it to hold it down and 
make it warm. The logs in the structure were about 
eight inches in diameter at the top ; each end of the 
log had a notch cut half way into it, and these were 
laid on top of each other, the upper side being hewed 
into shape to fit into the notch of the other log. This 
dwelling had a door and a window ; the ground served 
as a floor; thrde beams and the walls and sides con- 
stituted the rest on which the elm bark roofing was 
placed. It was a real modern beam ceiling bungalow. 
This model was one of the best in vogue for the time 
for the bachelors, with the exception that mine was 
smaller than the general run. 



68 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



DISASTER TO TUDAL'S DUG-OUT. 

My nciglibor ou section eight, cornering on my 
lioniestead, had a cabin of a different make, one which 
was not considered as well up in fashion as mine, but 
which he insisted was of much older architectural 
design ; and unless he could be convinced, he said, that 
my more modern structure proved of some special 
superior fitness, he would consider his the better of 
the two, not to mention the fact that he had a larger 
structure than I, which he continually reminded me 
of especially in the presence of a friend of ours, who 
had several marriageable daughters. 

I must not forget to give my neighbor's name and 
to describe how his cabin was constructed. His name 
was Jorgen Jorgenson Tudal. His cabin was sixteen 
by twenty-four feet in size and was dug four feet 
down into the ground, and the dirt piled two feet 
high on one side of it and three feet on the other; a 
rather small log was placed on top of the dirt on the 
lower side and a big one on the higher side, thus giv- 
ing sufficient slant for a roof. In the center was 
placed a good strong log, and across the whole were 
placed split poles, and ou top of that was put a layer 
of hay, then a lot of loose dirt, next a layer of turf ; 
there w-ere a door and window in the front end. 

Jorgen would always insist that I should stay Avith 
him, as there was so much more room in his house, 
and I frequently acceded to his wishes, and I had to 
admit that my quarters were rather cramped. An 
opportunity eame, however, that proved that my cabin 
was superior in fitness. At one time, while we were 
attending a stag dance at a bachelor friend's house, 
on a sultry summer evening, he insisted I should stay 
with him after the dance was over, and I consented. 
It was well on in the wee small hours when we retired 
and we were quite drowsy and soon fell asleep. Jorgen 
was a very heavy .sleeper and was snoring away in 
great shape — snoring so that the reverberation fairly 
shook the roofing. We had not been sleeping very 
long until a big rain storm set in and the rain eame 
down in torrents. I finally awoke and found the 
water coming in ou all sides and standing two feet 



deep on the floor ; the bread box was floating around ; 
the ham and yeast cakes eame tumbling from their 
moorings, and dirt was continually .sliding ofl; the 
wall as the rain washed it down. I shook Jorgen by 
the arm and called out to him, liut he slept on. I 
could not arouse him. Finally I took him by the legs 
and pulled his bare feet down into the water and thus 
got him awake. I called out to him then, "Jorgen, 
your house is not tit to live in ; let us go down to my 
place." "Oh, you scoundrel," he said, "how can you 
sit there and laugh at tliis? See my bread and bacon 
in the water ! ' ' 

PIONEERS WHO CAME PRIOR TO 1879. 

Besides those I have already named as the earliest 
pioneers I will give a list of names of others who 
came to the county previous to the period of rail- 
roads, say up to 1879, and the towns in which they 
settled. 

Hubbard Town : Andrew Thompson, Peter Jacob- 
son, Henry Smith, Lars Helgeland, Ole Spokley. Jens 
Syverson, Nels Paulsrud, John Bjorenstad, Jens 
Vigen, Bore Kolstad, Carl Olson, Ilalvor Kravik, El- 
ling Ellingson, John Ellingson, Ole Fossos, Gunder 
Veum, Jorgen Jorgenson, Thor A. Berland, Frank 
Hanson, Halvor, Gunder, Kittel and Ole Dale, Ole 
Thostenson, Knute S. Aker, Elias Steenerson. 

Town of Vineland: Steener Knutson, Chris and 
Andrew Steenerson, Ole and Andrew Bremseth, Tom 
Knutson, Andrew P. Elseth, S. P. Elseth, Iner II. M. 
Joen, Sven P. Svenson, M. C. Roholt, Iver Bjorge, Ole 
and Erick Stortroem, Anthon E. Hanson, Simon Ban- 
gen, Ole Simonson, Hans Bangen, Hans and Lars 
Berg, Swennung and Erick Linden, Peter, Edward 
and Amon Moen, John and Peter Thompson, John J. 
Borsevald, Ingeret Stubson, Nels Thune, Nels Glaback, 
Hans Glasrud. 

Town of Tynsert : Ole and Jacob Johnson, Erick 
Jordal, Paul Halverson, Isia Abrahamson (a Fin- 
lander), Hans Kopang, Helge Thoreson, Esten, Leet, 
Ole and Ingebret Fosback, Ole Bruenen, August Aas, 
Iver Lund, Peter Boukind, Halvor Lunos, Ingebret 



COMPENDIUM OP HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



69 



Vingelin, Elling Dokken, Gunder Harraldson, Arne 
Ness, Ole, John, Louis and Lars Larson, Andrew 
Elby, K. D. Gulseth, Lars Gulseth. 

Town of Bygland : Torkel and Ole Danialson, Tar- 
grim Jorgenson, Jorgen Knute, Halvor and Ole Torg- 
rinison, Gunsten and Swenke Swenkeuson, Torbjon 
Tollefson, Anton Lindem, Soren, Knute, Paul, and Ole 
Sorenson, Ole and Osmund, Isaacson and Osmund 
Osmundson, Knute K., Halvor K., and Osmund K. 
Knutson, Tom Benson, J. G. Anderson, Ole Anderson, 
Jens Halvorson, Ben Torkleson, Aslak Bjorenson, Ole 
Legvald. 

Fisher : Ole and Jacob Jorgenson, Andrew, Halvor, 
Nels and Ole Stalemoe, Ole Williamson, Jon Peterson, 
Ole Vatendal, A. G. Anderson, T. G. Olson, Osmund 
and Gunder Thommason, Patrick Lealas, John Cown- 
eron, Henry Sweet, Fred and George Warden, Sara 
Tarreson, Theodore Helgeson, Jens Halvorson, John 
Hegg, Jens Wallerbeck, A. E. Bradish, Tom Erwin, 
Carl Widenhoefer, Mike Feleske, Julius Wagoner, 
Adam Burr, Julius Zacho, C. U. Webster, Fred Radi, 
Hod, Frank and Will Haney, Ole and Jorgen Hanson, 
Louis Christienson, Gunder, Gudno and Knute Lee, 
James Brewster, Dave Greenlief, Thomas Moran, 
James, Roberts, and Dan Bain, Mike Burns, Ole Olson, 
J. B. Merrill, Even and Lars Olson, Hugh Thompson, 
Frank S. DeMers, Gunder Krostue, John Carter, 
Frank Zaraker, Capt. Russell Adam and Alex Thomp- 
son. 

Town of Huntsville : Edwin and James Lealos, Ed 
C!ookman, George, Charley, and Alex Coulter, D. B. 
Ferguson, James Shanks, Tom MacVity, James Mc- 
Gregor, Paul Jones, Joe Jai'ves, Wilber Skinner, 
Richard Barrett, John Goodwin, James and Joseph 
Robertson, James Lee, James, Dan and John Mc- 
Donald, R. E. White, Ole Hanson, Adam Ii-vine, Rob- 
ei't Anderson, Arne Higden, James Cummings, Dun- 
can Bain, A. Boucher, Leon Surpanault, Halvor Thar- 
aldson, Ole Danielson, M. Boucher, M. Hunt, A. L. 
Steele, Jerry Enright, William Jackson, Garrett Mur- 
phy, C. J. Tollakson, John, Thomas and Pete McCoy. 

Crookston : Frank Bevins, J. 0. Sargent, H. 
Schribner, H. C. Schribner, B. Soper, Jacob Ide, Mart. 



Leikness, Simon Skogness, Andrew Kleven, Ole Knut- 
son, J. B. Rome, Peter Berg, Chris Hansel, Sampson 
and Matt Hilde, Ole Jorgenson, L. Aspass, Knute A. 
Berget, Chas. Mattson, J. Knutson, Ole Engebritson, 
A. Anderson, J. B. Anderson, Rev. Bersnen Ander- 
son, John Gilbei-t, Jens Wallerbeck, 0. 0. Knudson, 
H. 0. Gudvongen, S. C. Lytic, A. Arness, M. K. Valor, 
John Saugstad, T. A. Harris, 0. J Volland, Ole Kro- 
ken, Oscar Johnson, John Sylvester and Joseph Syl- 
vester, 0. P. Onstad, W. A. Marin, Mat Cornelius, E. 
E. Lomen, Mike Wentzel, Julius Wentzel, August 
Wentzel, Phil Capestran, Alfred Savory, Christ Han- 
son, Hans Jenson, M. LaPlant, Ole O. Hoven, N. T. 
Woodstrom, John Stoughten, 0. K. Quamme, F. L. 
Robert, M. C. Hanson, T. H. Bjoin, P. J. McGuire, 
Rice Webb, William Watts, R. H. Cochran, E. F. Kel- 
ley, M. Langevin, Fred Fox, Joe Gouehe. 



E. M. WALSH'S REMINISCENCES OF PIONEER LIFE 
IN POLK COUNTY. 

Edmund M. Walsh will always be fairly distin- 
guished for his prominent connection with the early 
history of Crookston and Polk County. He came here 
when but 20 years of age. His personal sketch, which 
appears elsewhere, shows that he was born in New 
York State in 1851, and when six years of age was 
brought by his parents to Henderson, Sibley County, 
Minn., where he was reared to young manhood. In 
1870 he took charge of his father's general store at 
Henderson, but closed it the following year and set 
out for the Red River Valley, which became the future 
scene of his successful operations. 

At the time Mr. Walsh left Henderson the old St. 
Paiil & Pacific Railway Company was operating its 
line at that time from St. Paul to Willmar, and con- 
structing the balance of the line to Breckenridge. A 
four-horse stage line was running from Willmar to 
Fort Garry and carrying passengers, express, and 
mail, and the freighting was done by Red River carta 
drawn by Indian ponies and oxen, one pony or ox 
being harnessed to each cart ; sometimes there were 



70 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



as many as two hundred carts in a string. These ve- 
hicles were made entirely of wood, and often, when 
in motion, their scjueaking eould be heard for a long 
distance. A large amount of freight was also hauled 
by American freighters, using, mosrtly, oxen and 
wagons, and hauling from one ton to one and one-half 
tons to the wagon, and making on an average of twenty 
miles a day ; but when the Northern Pacific Railway 
was completed and in operation to JMoorhead, the Red 
River steamboats and barges superseded and put out 
of business the ox carts and wagons as freighters. 

Describing his pioneer exjjeriences in the great Val- 
ley, Mr. Walsh writes: 

I left St. Paul, the forepart of September, in the 
j'ear 1871, and went as far as Willniar on the passen- 
ger train of the old St. Paul & Pacifie, now the Great 
Noi'thern. At Willmar I boarded the construction 
train and rode to the end of the track, then walked 
thirty miles to Breckenridge, which was then com- 
posed of one .shanty as a stopping place. I expected 
to overtake an ox train going to Fort Garry (which 
train was owned by friends of mine), and continue 
my trip with them as far as Grand Forks, North 
Dakota, where my father was in the lumber and mer- 
cantile business; but unfortunately for me the ox train 
had left Breckenridge, the day before I had gotten 
there, and so thei-e was nothing left for me to do but 
to stai't out on foot and alone and overtake my friends ; 
but this I accomplished that same day, after they had 
struck camp for the night. Tlie next day we passed 
through Moorhead. This was a very busy place at 
that time, as the Northern Pacific crossing had just 
been located at that point, and every one was either 
building or seemed to be getting ready to build. There 
were also a number of tent stores and saloons; the 
only building of any importance was the Chapin 
House. 

Georgetown was the next point of interest, being 
the Hudson's Bay trading post, having stores and 
buildings of good construction. Here we cros!3ed the 
Red River to the Dakota side and continued our slow 
journey north. AVhen we got to within twenty miles 



of Grand Forks, we had .stopped at a creek to water 
the oxen ; then the stage came along, and also stopped 
to water the stage horses. I induced the stage driver 
to take me into Grand Forks, where we arrived after 
dark at the stage and hotel station, which was kept 
liy John Stewart. I asked him if that was Grand 
Forks, and he said "Well, yes; part of it." I then 
asked him where the rest of it was, and he told me 
around the corner of the building, and said "Do you 
see that light over there, about a mile away?" I 
said "yes." "Well," said he, "that is the rest of 
Grand Forks. Good night." 

The next morning I discovered that Old Uncle John 
was about right, as in the town there were only the 
saw mill owned and operated by Griggs, Walsh & Co., 
their general store, their bunk and boarding house, 
and a small building occupied as a saloon by Romeo 
Whitney. There w-ere also several other buildings 
under construction and which were completed that 
Fall, one being a residence for Capt. Alex. Griggs 
and a boarding house by Uncle John Fadden. 

There not being much for me to do in Grank Forks, 
I boarded the stage November 1, 1871, and went to 
Fort Garry or Winnipeg where I found employment 
at my trade, as tinner, at good wages, and staying 
there until March 1, 1872, I then returned to Grand 
Forks. Winnipeg at tliat time had a population of 
about 1,000, mostly Scotch and Frencli mixed bloods. 

About that time there was considerable talk of a 
railroad being built through Northern Minnesota from 
Breckenridge to Pembina. From information that 
some of the leading men of Gi'and Forks had, it was 
said that the crossing of the Red Lake River by the 
railroad would be about ten or tw-elve miles east of 
Grand Forks, and that tliere would l)e a great city 
at that point some day ; consequently there was much 
interest manifested by many in trying to strike the 
right point where the road would cross. Myself 
with Jake Eshelman (known as "Stripes"), Harry 
Farmer ("the dude"), and Harry Sheppard 
("Shepp"), were sent up the Red Lake River to set- 
tle on four claims (the land not being surveyed at 














FIRST DEPOT IN CEOOKSTON— PICTURE TAKEN IN 1874 




MAIN STREET, CROOKSTON, IN 1882 



COMPENDIUM OP HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



71 



that time), and to hold them for the town syndicate. 
We located our claims about two oi' three miles west 
of where Fisher is now located, and commenced to 
make improvements in the way of shanty building, 
etc. 

Along about May 1, 1872, we were informed that the 
railroad had located the crossing at Crookston, so 
we then abandoned our claims and joined in the rush 
to the crossing, afterwards named Crookston, after the 
chief engineer of the railroad. Col. Wm. Crooks, of 
St. Paul. We were too late to secure any land on the 
town site, as it was all taken up or squatted on by 
parties following the railroad engineers. Bob Hous- 
ton was one of the fir.st, with W. H. Stewart, Leo 
Peigonote, E. C. Davies, Joseph Barrett, B. Sampson, 
John Darkow, Dick Hussey close seconds. Soon a 
very lively little town was born, and it grew quite 
rapidly. Stewart started a saloon and hotel ; Davis, 
who had a large grading contract, had supply stores, 
and other stores and saloons— principally saloons — 
grew up in a night. Among others of the first settlers 
whom I call to mind are J. R. Barb, Charles Wentzel, 
Frank Jerome, P. Gervais, Paschal and Mrs. Lacha- 
pelle, Jake Meyers, Jim Turner, and Henr}' Sheppard. 
There were a great many men employed in railroad 
work, in steel and gi'ading gangs, and business was 
very brisk, gamblers and others of that ilk reaping 
part of the prosperity. During the summer of 1872 
Bruiis & Finkle, of Moorhead, put up a large store, 
which was managed by Wm. Ross. E. Lariviere also 
put up a large store and had a large Indian trade, and 
about that time I put up a frame tar-paper shack 
and started a tin shop and hardware store on a small 
scale. There were also a few settlers that came in and 
settled on land near Crookston. James Greenbalgh, 
Sr., Christ Sathre, Peter Cornelius, David Wilkins, 
and Sam Honeywell, with their families, were among 
the first to settle. 

Prosperity was in the air all during the summer 
and up to the middle of October in the year 1872, 
when word came from railroad headquarters to stop 
all work at once; consequently several hundred men 



were thrown out of work. As winter was coming on 
most of the men left and winter closed in on the few 
that remained. Fortunately the stores and others 
had large stocks of goods on hand. Money being 
plenty (apparently), everybody lived high, antici- 
pating the resumption of railroad work in the early 
spring of 1873; but we were doomed to disappoint- 
ment, and for four years it might be said we hung on 
by our eyelashes waiting for the operation of the 
railroad. 

A part of this period is what we used to call ' ' cat- 
fish-or-no-breakf ast " times, and what the inhabitants 
didn't know about cooking cat-fish was not worth 
knowing. We had them stewed, fried, baked, boiled, 
scalloped, and in bouillon. The winter months con- 
stituted the social season of the year, and were spent 
in dancing, surprise parties, theatrical entertainments 
with all local talent, and other social doings. During 
these years, were added to our numbers K. D. Chase, 
John McLean, W. G. Woodruff, D. Jacobus, E. H. 
Shaw, H. G. Palmer, Munroe Palmer, and their fam- 
ilies. Mrs. Munroe Palmer was our first school mis- 
tress, and taught the few children in a small log 
cabin that was built by the railroad engineers. 

The Indians were very numerous during the early 
years of settlement. Particularly in the summer 
time they would come in, in large numbers, and they 
usually camped where the High School buildings now 
are. They were peaceable enough and we had very 
little trouble with them, except when tliey got liquor 
from some of the traders, and this happened often 
enough to cause the U. S. Government to send U. S. 
Marshal Nichols here to investigate. He evidently 
found evidence enough to convince himself that there 
was good cause for complaints, for a short time after 
his third visit here he I'eturned with a squad of soldiers 
from Port Pembina and seized the entire stock of 
goods of E. Lariviere 's store and later sold the same 
at public auction. Mr. W. D. Bailey was the success- 
ful bidder, and he continued the business until he sold 
out to Pontain & Anglim in 1876. 

The Red River steam boats I'an up here part of the 



72 



COMPENDIU:\I OF HISTORY AXD BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



seasons of 1874 and 1875, landing at the foot of Third 
Street, and carrying freight to Winnipeg which had 
l)een hauled in here by the branch line of the St. Paul 
& Pacific Railroad. During 1875 the railroad was 
built into Fisher's Landing, which was made the head 
of navigation until the railroad was built on to Grand 
Forks. 

In 1877 and 1878 the heavy settlement of Polk 
County began. Pierre Bottineau and his son, John 
B., brouglit in a large number of French Canadians 
from Ramsey and Hennepin Counties, Minnesota, and 
also quite a number from the East, locating them 
along Red Lake River from Louisville to Red Lake 
Falls, and along Clearwater River from Red 
Lake Falls to Lambert. The Southern part of the 
State also furnished quite a number of settlers from 
Wabasha County and other points on the Mississippi 
River, and these newcomers settled around Crookstou. 



T. B. WALKER'S LUMBERING OPERATIONS IN POLK 
COUNTY. 

(Contributed.) 

In 1871 a firm of lumbermen, Jarvis & Berridge, 
of Winnipeg, purchased a lot of logs cut from Indian 
lands, under a permit fi"om the Indian Department, 
for the sale of stumpage, the proceeds to go to the 
Indians. The logging was to be done just north of 
the White Earth Reservation, on the very upper 
waters of the Clearwater River, a tributary of Red 
Lake River, coming in at Red Lake Falls. The en- 
terprise was in large part a failure, in consequence 
of the extraordinary expense of driving the logs, and 
the prosecutions by the Government of those who did 
tlie logging on the deal with the Indian Department, 
as not being authorized by Congress. This led to 
prosecutions by the Federal Department, and it was 
finally declared an unwarranted prosecution, as the 
authorization of the cutting was done by the Indian 
Department and parties to the contract, as purchas- 
ers of the timber, were legally authorized; therefore. 



for any violation of law pertaining to the operations, 
the Government ofBcials should be held responsible. i 
In this case the cutting was not held to be a criminal " 
offense, as it was done in the interest of the Indians. 
The work extended over two or three years, in efforts 
to get the logs over the difficult driving on Clear- 
water River. 

These operations led the lumbermen of Winnipeg 
to investigating the timber on Rice River, which nins 
through the White Earth Reservation, and on the 
R<?d Lake and Clearwater Rivers, on the Red Lake 
Reservation. It was found that a considerable body 
of timber, belonging to the Pillsburys and to T. B. 
Walker, was lying around the northeast corner and 
easterly side of the '\^^lite Earth Reservation. The 
most of this timber, by more or less of a long haul, 
could reach the Clearwater River (which, for the first 
ten or fifteen miles, runs eastward along the north 
boundary of the White Earth Reservation, and then 
farther east and north to Clearwater Lake), and 
made a considerable body of the pine mentioned, 
tributary to that river. The Winnipeg lumbermen, 
having found this timber available for driving to the 
Red River, undertook to purcliase some of it for sup- 
plying their mills in Winnipeg, and their undertak- 
ing resulted in a contract to purchase logs of Mr. T. 
B. Walker, to be delivered at Winnipeg, at a rate 
which seemed to be sufficient to make the operations 
profitable, although at a large expense for hauling 
and driving the logs. 

Tons of dynamite were used in clearing the boul- 
ders which were thickly strewn along the lower fifty 
miles of the Clearwater River, and expensive dams 
were built to hold the spring floods in Clearwater 
Lake and on the river above. Upon Mr. Walker's 
purchasing the timber owned by the Pillsbui"ys, a 
number of years' logging was carried on and the logs 
driven to Winnipeg, where the difficulties of hold- 
ing the logs, the high price which they had to pay for 
them, and the bad management of the lumber firm, 
made a practical failure of the enterprise, with the 
failure of the lumber company to meet their obliga- 




a*i,J}fcS2i4.S:K!&Sr- ^^E^w-'- i»««fras«» 



COMPENDIUM OP HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



73 



tions and pay for the logs. When the logs were all 
delivered in the booms at Winnipeg, the banks came 
to the rescue, took possession of the logs and paid for 
them, and ran the mills and received back their ad- 
vance, together with money ah'eady due them from 
the Winnipeg lumber firm. 

The drive of logs that was delivered at Winnipeg 
that lar.t season was one that had been hung up the 
year before on the Clearwater River, and which, by 
means if the spring floods, was brought down over 
the faL and rapids and into Red Lake River, where 
there was plenty of water to drive the balance of the 
waj'. The logs of the previous winter were driven 
dov.n to the rapids and had to be left (the same as 
they ] ad been the year before), for the drive that 
was taken that year to Winnipeg. 

As the Winnipeg firm was "all iu" it was not in 
condition to purchase the logs, which were hung up 
on Clearwater River, and this led to the building of 
the lumber mills at Crookston. A site was selected 
opposite the city, on the townsite of Carmen, which 
had only the river between it and the townsite of 
Crookston. The mill was built and expensive improve- 
men '^ put in for holding logs. These improvements 
consisted of expensive cut-offs or bins above Crooks- 
ton for the floods to pass through and leave the logs 
on the lagoons, with very expensive piers and booms; 
this made quite a practical and satisfactory lumber- 
ing enterprise, excepting as to its large cost. This 
was followed by attempts of certain parties in Crooks- 
ton to organize boom companies and secure the ripar- 
ian rights on the river to control the booming, making 
the lumber company pay tribute to the extent of about 
what there would be in the lumber business as a boom- 
ing charge for this unnecessary outside interference ; 
but the courts intervened and decided against the 
interference, and for that reason, the mills were built 
at Crookston ; otherwise they would have gone to 
Grand Forks, or the logs might have been taken again 
to Winnipeg, and no further lumbering would have 
been done at Crookston. 

A first-class milling plant was established at Crooks- 
5 



ton and it was iu operation for many years; but as 
soon as the plant was located and the lumber in pile, 
the farmers of the township in which it was located, 
outside of the townsite of Crookston, began levying 
the most excessive rate of taxation, — in excess of that 
levied against any lumber plant in Minnesota, even 
ill the cities, where vastly greater expenditures for 
local matters would be necessary. This became so 
burdensome that it became necessary to appeal to 
the Legislature of the State and to add the mill-site 
to the townsite of Crookston, where naturally there 
would be at least double or triple the amount of taxa- 
tion appropriately assessable for expenditures which 
were not in any manner necessary in a townsite of 
farmers. 

Soon after the Crookston mills were in operation, 
the people of Grand Forks, finding how advantageous 
it was to Crookston to have the mills located there, 
made an especial effort and offered a millsite location 
and a portion of the necessary lumber yard, as au 
inducement for either Mr. Walker or the Red River 
Lumber Company to build mills at that point. They 
also were to furnish the riparian or shore rights for 
boom privileges for holding the logs for a consider- 
able length of the Red River, at Grand Forks, and 
also a considerable length of shore rights on the Red 
Lake River, some miles above Grand Forks, to hold 
larger drives of logs which could not be held down 
at the mill booms. Pursuant to this agreement, the 
mills were built at Grand Forks, just at the lower 
edge of what was then the town, and a thrifty lumber 
manufacturing business was established. After sev- 
eral years the mill burned down, and as the riparian 
rights had never been furnished, as agi'ced upon by 
some of the prominent citizens of Grand Forks, and 
as there was not sufficient room to hold the logs, and 
there was a likelihood of losing a large lot down the 
river, in case of a flood, Mr. Walker undertook to 
locate on the Minnesota side of the river. This loca- 
tion would have been fully as well, or better, for Grand 
Forks; but the people opposed it and some of the 
citizens bought up shore rights in the properties 



74 



COMPENDIU:\I OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



which the mill company was seeking to secure. Find- 
ing that a sufficient amount of boomage riglits, as well 
as necessary yard room for piling and for planing 
mills and other purposes of the lumber plant, could 
not be secured, the project was abandoned, and the 
persons who had come there pretending to be in line 
to build more mills were found not to have any such 
intention, but were only speculating out of options 
and purchases which they had made to sell to the 
Red River Lumber Company. Thus ended the Grand 
Forks lumbering operations, after about ten years of 
operating the mills. 

After the Crookston mills had been running for 
about sixteen years, came the panic of '93. At this 
time also came the Government sale of the timber ou 
the Red Lake Indian Reservation. As the Red River 
Lumber Company was the only lumber concern on 
Red Lake River, Mr. Walker arranged to secure money 
from the banks in Minneapolis to purchase a sufficient 
amount of the timber to enable the mills at Crooks- 
ton to operate for many years. For this purpose he 
arranged with one of the largest banks of Minneap- 
olis for sufficient funds to purchase a large amount 
of the timber, and to do this, he placed several busi- 
ness accounts, including his own personal account, in 
this bank, and provided, under an agreement, for the 
amount of the ten per cent, which each account was 
allowed to take from the bank, under the banking 
laws. When panicky conditions came on, and the 
bank was calling upon its customers, as far as they 
reasonably could, for payments to meet the withdraw- 
als of money that the depositors were making, there 
was one lumber firm in Minneapolis which owned a 
very favorable tract of timber on the upper Missis- 
sippi waters. This tract two other prominent lumber 
firms were anxious to purchase and to take advantage 
of the stringent times to secure it at only a fraction 
of its value. Mr. Walker had no interest in either 
one of these concerns — nor was it any of his particular 
business, as to the outcome of such sale — but, finding 
that the president of the bank was forcing the owners 
to sell for $200,000 property worth $600,000 or 



$800,000, he, rather indiscreetly, said to some of the 
directors of the bank, that it was a shame to sacri- 
fice the rights of this concern in favor of the wealthier 
firm that happened to have money to pay, and as that 
firm owed the bank money, the president was requir- 
ing the owners to sell and sacrifice for this price. The 
directors, on the statement of ^Iv. Walker, did not 
approve the order requiring them to sell, which so 
displeased the president of the bank that he called 
oft' the agreement to furnish the additional loans that 
he had agreed to make to Mr. Walker, and also re- 
quired him to pay up the comparatively small amount 
which he owed the bank. 

At that time of panic the banks were not furnishing 
money, and were having a close time to meet their 
own obligations, and so the Red Lake timber sale 
passed and Mr. Walker did not even attend the sale. 
Therefore the Shevlin Company, backed by one of the 
largest concerns in the State, found itself without 
competition to buy in these lands at a veiy low rate, 
and much less than was anticipated. It had been 
presumed that Mr. Walker would be on hand at the 
sale to purchase substantially the whole at whatever 
price was necessary to get it, and at more than any 
one else could aiford to pay. He had some use for 
the timber, and the others would have to make a be- 
ginning, and without a sufficient amount to establish 
mills, they hardly considered it worth while to attend 
the sale. 

Mr. Shevlin, after finding himself in possession of 
so large an amount of timber, bought out the mills 
and lumber and the remainder of the timber that Mr. 
Walker owned on the Clearwater River. In addition 
to this, he built mills at Thief River Falls, and for a 
considerable number of years supplied the Red River 
Valley with lumber and aided very materially in the 
prosperity of the northwestern part of the state. Mr. 
Walker then withdrew from that territory and after- 
ward built mills over at Akeley, Hubbard County, 
Minnesota, on the headwaters of the Crow Wing 
River, and has been, up to the present time, quite 
largely engaged in manufacturing lumber at that 




■ y /u n I n .J 



Mt/J^^. 



7^- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



75 



point. In the meantime, lie sold his milling plant in 
Minneapolis and for the past sixteen years, has been 
engaged only in manufacturing at the new townsite 
of Akeley. 

The episode given as the reason for Mr. Walker's 
abandoning the Red Lake River mills at Crookston, 
and the sale to Shevlin & Company, is more a per- 
sonal incident than an historical feature, but may be 
of interest as an explanation, and as an example of 
how an incidental or accidental circumstance may 
turn the current of events into diiferent channels. 



EARLY BUSINESS OPERATIONS IN POLK COUNTY, 
BY E. D. CHILDS, PIONEER. 

In the spring of 1877, in company with James Hill, 
of Warren, Wisconsin, Superintendent W. H. Fisher, 
of St. Paul, Minn., et al., I visited the Valley of the 
Red River of the North, making headquarters at 
Crookstou. At this time the other railroads into the 
Valley were the Northern Pacific, which had been built 
from Dulutli to a point just west of Fargo, and the 
old St. Paul & Pacific, which had built two lines, one 
of which, starting from St. Paul, had been completed 
as far north as Melrose, Minn. ; the other starting at 
Minneapolis, had been completed and was being oper- 
ated to Breckenridge, Minn. Also, while these were 
in process of construction, the company building the 
road brought material from Duluth over the Northern 
Pacific to Glyndon, and had laid rails as far south as 
old Barnesville toward Melrose, and also north from 
Glyndon to what is now Euclid. At this point of con- 
struction the financial backers of the St. Paul & Pacific 
were thrown into bankruptcy, all work stopped, and 
the property defaulting on its interest was thrown 
into court and J. P. Farley, of the Illinois Central, 
was named receiver, with W. H. Fisher as superin- 
tendent. 

After Mr. Farley's appointment as receiver, he had 
interested Norman Kittson, of St. Paul, who was run- 
ning a line of steamboats from Crookston to Port 



Gari-y (now Winnipeg) on the Red River, induced 
him to furnish the funds to take up the track from 
Crookston to Euclid and relay it to Fisher, thereby 
enabling the boats to meet the end of the railway 
without navigating the dangerous stretch of river 
between Crookston and Fisher. 

This was the condition of the railway service on 
my first visit to Crookston. Our party took the train 
at Minneapolis, and during the day made our way 
to Breckenridge where we stopped over night at the 
old Hyser House. The next morning we hired a team 
and drove to Fargo, stopping at Fort Abercrombie 
for dinner, reaching the old Headquarters Hotel at 
Pargo near nightfall. I distinctly remember that 
where Wahpeton now stands there was but one house 
and that was covered with tar paper. The third morn- 
ing we took train from Fargo to Glyndon, ten miles, 
and then changed from the Northern Pacific to the 
St. Paul & Pacific and went aboard a mixed train, 
which ran tri-weekly during the summer (there were 
no trains in the winter), from old Barnesville to 
Fisher. We arrived at Crookston in the afternoon 
of the third day. 

The town at that time consisted of two streets ; the 
main one is now the alley between the Great Northern 
Depot and the property known for many years as the 
Fountain & Anglim store, at that time occupied by W. 
D. Bailey as a general store. The other was a short 
intersection of Robert Street from the railway to what 
is now known as the Routell Block, then occupied by 
Ross & Walsh as a general store and tin-shop. 

During the previous spring Mr. Farley had been 
greatly hampered in operating the road by the flood 
waters collecting on the south half of Section 1, just 
south of the river, and on our return to St. Paul, he 
proposed to Mr. Hill and myself that if we would buy 
Section 1 at the agreed price of $2.50 per acre, and 
bind ourselves to di'ain it so the water would not be 
a menace to traffic, he would, "run flat ears under 
the Crookston depot and locate it and the town on 
Section 1, moving all their switches and the yards, 
with other railroad property, to the south side of 



76 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



the river." We were not ready at that time to accept 
the offer, and six weeks later, when we went back 
prepared to enter into the contract, he informed us 
that in the meantime J. J. Hill and associates had 
secured control of the properties, and that it was 
beyond his power to carry out his former proposition. 

This trip with our party led to the formation of 
the firm of Chjlds, Lytic & Co., consisting of E. D. 
Childs, W. G. Lytle, and James HiU, and the con- 
tracting between this partnership and J. P. Farley 
for 10,000 acres of land of the St. Paul & Pacific 
Railway grant at the price of $2.50 per acre, or 
$25,000. This contract was afterwards ratified by 
J. J. Hill and his associates and the land selected from 
the townships of Andover, Fairfax, Lowell, and 
Angus. 

During the summer of 1877 we sent teams from 
Warren, Wisconsin, to Crookston and broke up 300 
acres of laud on sections 23 and 24 in the township 
of Andover, returning the teams to Wisconsin for the 
winter at the close of the breaking season. In the 
spring of 1878 Mr. Lytle and family and myself and 
family removed to Crookston, where Mr. Lytle still 
resides (although he retired from the firm in the fall 
of 1880), and where I remained until the fall of 1907. 

We were the pioneers in the wheat business from 
Ada north, except that Barnes & Tenny, of Glyndon, 
had bought a few carloads at Crookston during the 
fall of 1877. They built houses at Rolette, Beltrami, 
Carmen, and Crookston, and as fast as the road was 
extended north, after its re-organization as the St. 
Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba. Under the firm name 
of Sterret, Hill & Childs, we built at Fanny, Euclid, 
Angus, Warren, Argyle, Stephen, Hallock, and St. 
Vincent; also on the line to the west as far as Grand 
Forks. At Fisher we went into Capt. Demeres's 
wheat field cut down a portion of his gi'ain, sufficient 
for a building site, had the elevator built, and filled 
with over 30,000 bushels of wheat before a rail was 
laid to it, so we could load cars. 

When at Grand Forks, the very first cars of freight 
brought in by rail was the lumber for our wheat 
house. 



When we first settled in Crookston, one of the heavi- 
est drawbacks to immigration was the lack of good 
water supply for domestic use and during 1878 and 
1879 our firm spent much money in prospecting for 
an artesian supply from below the alkaline deposit. 
Finally, in company with Corser & Elwood, we im- 
ported a deep-well contractor, with his machinery 
from Minneapolis, and succeeded in establishing two 
flowing wells in Carmen. An analysis of these waters 
showed them to be 99.4 per-cent pure water and the 
residue healthful mineral salts. One of these wells, 
furnished water for the city of Grand Forks during 
the great typhoid epidemic in the decade of 1880, 
being shipped over in carload lots; but afterwards, 
when the Carmen elevators burned, this well was 
choked and has never been opened up ; the other well 
is still in use in the street north of Block 11, Carmen. 
This demonstration of the existence of an artesian 
basin of pure water in tlie Red River Valley was a 
factor in its development of more than passing in- 
terest. 

In 1880 and 1881 our firm platted and dedicated 
the townsite of Carmen, now embraced in the Fifth 
ward of Crookston. 

When the city in the early '80s was negotiating 
with T. B'. Walker of Minneapolis, asking him to 
locate a great lumber industry at that point, the dona- 
tion by our firm, without price, of the land on which 
the mill and lumberyard were established was a lead- 
ing factor in influencing Mr. Walker's decision. 

In the church life of the city it was my privilege 
to be one of the charter members of the First Meth- 
odist Church, and at a later date, of the Baptist, both 
in Crookston and Carmen. After the city limits were 
extended south of the river during different periods 
I was for fourteen years a member of the City Coun- 
cil and took part in much of the important legisla- 
tion of that period, among others had an active part 
in defeating the $50,000 bond issue, which was sought 
to be given as a bonus to the Northern Pacific Railroad 
wlien it entered the city. 

The years 1878 to 1888 were crowded full of activ- 
ity. We were laying foundations on which those who 



I 




IMONEER FIRE FIGHTERS— CEOOKSTON 'S FIRST VOLUNTEER 
FIRE DEPARTMENT 




BIRD'S-EYE VIEW OF CROOKSTOX IX 1885 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



77 



came later have iu many instances buikled success- 
fully. Late in the decade of 1880 my partner, Mr. 
Hill, made a heavy and most unfortunate investment 
in a silver mine in New Mexico, which swept away 
every vestige of his personal fortune. The loss so far 
undennined the financial condition of our corpora- 
tion that it took the next fifteen years, and very great 
sacrifices of our holdings, to pay off the claims result- 
ing from his unfortunate speculation, and this led to 
my selling all of our holdings in Minnesota and re- 
moval, in 1907, to Wasliiugton, where I have since 
resided. 



GENESIS OF THE PRESENT HISTORY OF POLK 

COUNTY, WITH A GENERAL DESCRIPTION 

OF THE COUNTY'S RESOURCES. 

BY N. P. STONE, HISTORIAN OP THE POLK COUNTY OLD 
SETTLERS ' ASSOCIATION. 

To the large number of members of the Old Settlers' 
Association who were not present when the initial 
steps in the direction of compiling and publishing a 
personal and general history of Polk County, and es- 
pecially of its pioneer period, a statement of the op- 
portunity and circumstances leading to the venture 
is due. The following synopsis of report of the meet- 
ing at which this enterprise was launched will give 
a better view of the spirit and purpose of the old set- 
tlers than any mere statements. 

Persuant to a call issued by John Carter, president 
of the Old Settlers' Association of Polk County, a 
meeting was held in the office of 0. 0. Christiansen, 
at Crookston. At this meeting, in addition to the local 
members, there were present the Honorable Halvor 
Steenerson and the Honorable R. J. Montague. IMr. 
Montague was one of the pioneer attorneys of Crooks- 
ton, who at one time held the office of county judge, 
and at another time the office of mayor of Crookston. 
A few years since, he moved to Virginia, IMinne.sota, 
where he is officially known as city attorney of that 
enterprising city. Routine business being temporarily 
laid aside. Judge Montague interested the meeting 
with a half hour's talk, reviewing many of the im- 



portant events in the env\y history of the county and 
city, also calling to mind many amusing affairs in the 
early public life of the city, recalling and rephrasing 
stories a tliird of a century old, illustrating the truth 
that a good story well told, like old wine, may improve 
with age. 

The sympathy of the meeting becoming largely 
reminiscent in its attitude, all were ready to hear from 
Congressman Steenerson, who then addressed the 
meeting. Mr. Steenerson gave a review of the achieve- 
ments of the pioneers who came to the Red River 
Valley leaving old associations, old friends, and even 
civilization, hundreds of miles behind, to try their 
fortunes in an untried climate of long winters of storm 
and snow, and summers of rain and flood. "These 
men," said Mr. Steenerson, "are the heroes who have 
helped build the empire of the Red River Valley, and 
they are worthy of a place in its history." 

Judge William Watts, who has always taken an 
active interest in the early settlement and develop- 
ment of the valley, having contributed quite largely 
to a " History of the Red River Valley, ' ' published in 
1909, next entertained the meeting for a short time, 
and closed with an endorsement of Mr. Steenerson 's 
suggestion. It being evident that the sentiment of all 
present was favorable to the proposed history, Mr. 
Steenerson moved that the Old Settlers' Association 
compile and print in book form a history of Polk 
County. The president declared a unanimous vote 
in favor of the motion, and it was so recorded. 

A few weeks later Mr. Bingham, of W. H. Bingham 
& Company, historical publishers, of Minneapolis, 
having become informed of the movement, came to 
Crookston and called on the officers of the association 
with a view to securing the publishing of the con- 
templated history. Later he met with the Old Settlers 
in session and made a proposition, in substance, that 
his firm would furnish material for the history, with 
such aid as the Old Settlers could give, and that his 
firm would furnish such history to the public at a 
price of $15 per copy. The Old Settlers ratified an 
agreement of this nature: this agreement being the 



78 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



warrant under which the publishers have undertaken 
the work. 

GENERAL CONDITIONS OF THE COUNTY. 

Preliminary to the general historical features of 
this woik, the writer desires to call the attention of 
the reader to certain conditions, physical and other- 
wise, peculiar to Polk County and differing vastly 
from those found elsewhere in the Red River Yallej'. 
If one hundred residents of this county were ques- 
tioned as to the location of Polk County, one hun- 
dred would answer, "In the Red River Valley," and 
not one would give the correct answer. 

Polk County is geograi^hically centrally located 
more largely and particularly in the valley of the Red 
Lake River, than in the valley of the Red River of the 
North. Red Lake River is the outlet of Red Lake, 
the largest body of fresh water within the boundaries 
of any one of the United States of America. This lake 
is located centrally in a basin of about two million 
acres in the northwestern part of Minnesota, having 
a large number of small rivers entering the lake from 
various directions, and but one outlet, the Red Lake 
River. Red Lake River receives, in addition, the flow 
of two important rivers : the Clearwater, coming from 
the southeast and joining Red Lake River at Red Lake 
Falls, and the Thief River, coming from the north and 
joining the Red Lake River at Thief River Falls. 

The natural physical conditions of the Red Lake 
River Valley have no harmony with the conditions of 
the Red River of the North. Red Lake River, after 
reaching the prairie at Red Lake Falls, has a contin- 
uous average fall of four feet per mile, to within a 
few miles of Grand Forks. The Red River of the 
North, as shown by the records accepted as correct, 
has an average of only a major fraction of a one-foot 
incline per mile from Breckenridge to St. Vincent. A 
rapid current clarifies the stream, while a slow one 
tends to a sluggish and unwholesome condition. 

The occasional floods that have occurred in the Red 
River are mentioned in the "History of the Red River 
Valley, ' ' published in 1909, as follows : ' ' These floods 



attain a height of only a few feet below the level of 
the adjoining prairie where that is highest, and along 
the greater part of the distance between Fargo and 
Winnipeg, the banks are overflowed and the flat land 
on each side of the river to a distance of two to four 
miles from it, is covered with water one to five or more 
feet in depth." Compare the above with the condi- 
tions found in the valley of the Red Lake River. The 
Red Lake River flows through a well-defined valley 
ranging from one-quarter to three-quarters of a mile 
wide — from the prairie level on one side to that on 
the other. At Crookstou the width is fully three- 
quarters of a mile. The business part and three- 
fourths of the residence portion of the city are located 
between these banks, upon the table lauds somewhat 
peculiar to this river. These table lands vary in 
height, and generally slope gradually toward the 
river. The lowest portion of the city has a few resi- 
dences which have been troubled with the high waters, 
as had been anticipated at the time of building. The 
highest water known in Crookston has not risen to a 
point within twenty feet of the prairie level. 

For thirty years the pine logs cut upon the Red 
Lake Indian Reservation were floated down the Red 
Lake River to the T. B. Walker sawmill, at Crookstou, 
and manufactured into lumber to be distributed 
through the Red River Valley for building purposes, 
furnishing employment to one hundred or more men 
during the process of manufacture. 

The first dam in Crookston was built in the early 
eighties, and later rebuilt by the Crookston Water- 
works, Power & Light Company. The power obtained 
from this dam was used for furnishing light, water, 
and power for the city. During the past year the 
Crookston Waterworks, Power & Light Company have, 
by the addition of another and nuich larger dam, re- 
harnessed the water power of the Red Lake River, 
giving it a capacity for service many times greater 
than before. This company has a wire already run- 
ning from their power plant near Crookston to Grand 
Forks, which will soon be in service furnishing power 
to that city. Arrangements have also been made for 



COMPENDIUM OP HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



79 



lighting the tovvu of Fisher from this wii'e. This com- 
pany has established two artesian wells in the City of 
Crookston, which supply an abundance of pure, whole- 
some water to the citj'. The general absence of any 
alkaline feature in the water is marked throughout 
the county, and it is possible to find pure artesian wa- 
ter of the finest kind in nearly all places where a well 
is drilled. 

It is a well-known fact that the best soil of the Red 
River Valley is along the river banks, produced by 
the deposits of silt and clay during the thousand or 
more years of valley formation. Polk County borders 
on the Red River a distance of 48 miles, and including 
the two sides of the Red Lake River, which runs cen- 
trally through Polk County a distance of forty miles, 
has a total frontage of timber of one hundred and 
twenty-eight miles length, and an equivalent larger 
breadth or length of the richest kind of soil. If the 
statements of the geologists are reliable, Polk County 
must excel in quality of soil all other counties in the 
Red River Valley. 

No more fitting recognition of the merits of Polk 
County, in its relations with the Red River Valley, 
could have been given than when James J. Hill offered 
four hundred and ninety-nine acres of land as site 
for the State Agricultural College centrally located at 
Crookston, and no more signal service was rendered 
the Valley than when Senator A. D. Stephens, then a 
member of the Legislature, through his active per- 
sonal effort and influence, secured the passage of a 
bill through the Legislature, establishing a school of 
agriculture at Crookston. The interest in the school 
has been of gradual but continuous growth, until to- 
day the college, as a Valley institution, has become a 
dominant feature in practical husbandry and kindred 
branches, with an enrollment of over two hundred 
students. 

The period of actual steamboating on the Red River 
extended from the time of the completion of the 
Northern Pacific Railroad to Moorhead in December, 
1871, to the time of the completion of the St. Paul & 
Pacific from Crookston to St. Vincent, making a con- 
tinuous all-rail line from St. Paul to Winnipeg, in 



1878. The largest number of boats plying the Red 
River of the North at one time was reported as twelve, 
according to the History of the Red River Valley, 
published in 1909. Dui'ing these years, traffic was 
frequently suspended owing to low water. After the 
establishment of all-rail service, steamboating gradu- 
ally disappeared, until the last boat went out of com- 
mission, and the sound of the steamboat whistle is 
heard no more. The commercial value of this river 
described in the above-mentioned history as one of the 
"two mighty rivers" (referring to the Mississippi and 
the Red River of the North), today is at zero. Its 
service to the world was short. It now is only a 
hazard. Every year of high flood-tide must bring dis- 
aster of greater or less degree. Red Lake River has a 
record for safety that can be trusted. Red Lake 
River still holds in reserve enough silent force, when 
added to that with which it has already been taxed, to 
amount in round numbers to ten thousand horsepower 
energy, thus demonstrating its capacity of service to 
Polk County. 

In the matter of railroad transportation and traffic 
Polk County is again most fortunate. Two trunk 
lines, the Great Northern and the Northern Pacific, 
including branch lines radiating from Crookston, num- 
bering eight lines of rail trackage in the city in all, 
furnish Crookston with an admirable service. A large 
number of traveling salesmen have made their homes 
in Crookston, finding it a most satisfactory point from 
which to reach the trade in their territory. The serv- 
ice given by this system reaches more advantageously 
to all sections of the county than the service found in 
any other county in the eastern half of the Valley. 

Nature has endowed Polk County not only with 
agricultural and commercial possibilities, but also 
with attraction in her physical beauty. In driving 
through the country, one enjoys both the free sweep 
of the rolling prairies, and the frequent groves and 
many beauty-spots discovered in the woods along the 
picturesque river banks. Down in the southeastern 
part of the county is situated an attractive group of 
lakes. Most of them are a little remote from the com- 



1 



80 



COMPENDIUM OP HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



mon highway, and are souglit out mostly by lovers'of Joseph Sauve, Joseph Laframboise, Remi Fortier, Tel 



good fishing in the summer and sportsmen out for 
wild ducks in the fall. 

The largest of tlie group, however. Maple Lake, so 
named from the many maple trees growing about its 
shores, is only two miles from the town of Jleutor, 
and has become a noted summer resort for this sec- 
tion of the country. Maple Lake is about seven miles 
long and varies in width from one and one-half miles 
at the "big end" to one-third of a mile at the other 
end, Maple Bay. It is a picturesque, homelike lake, 
with its wooded banks and grace^dlj' curving shores. 
It has good fishing and bathing, and being the only 
lake of its attraction and location near to that section 
of Minnesota to the west and north of it, has become a 
favorite spot in summer for that part of the country, 
even for many in Grand Forks and other town.s in 
northern North Dakota. The great majority of the 
cottages, numbering from 75 to 100, are found along 
the northwestern shore, and some of them have been 
built as long ago as twenty-five or thirty years. There 
are two principal hotels -. Bulin 's Hotel, familiar to the 
countryside for many years; and the Lakeside Hotel, 
which was put up a few years ago, and which is also 
a popular .spot with cottagers and transients in the 
summer time. 

This attempt of the writer to give Polk County its 
true "setting" in the history of the Red River Val- 
ley of the North is made in the hope that it will meet 
with the approval of the old settlers who have, with 
the true pioneer spirit, aided in redeeming the Valley 
from its wild nature and the tramp of the not-too- 
niuch-civilized American Indian. 



HISTORY OF THE CATHOLIC PABISH OF ST. PETER, 

GENTILLY, MINN. 

BY REV. E. THEILLON. 

Gentilly is an inland town, situated seven miles east 
of Crookston, and was settled by French Canadians 
about 1878. Prominent among the first settlers were 
Joseph Beaudette, Edouard Lanctot, Chas. Rejimbal, 



Arel, Ces Cervais, Basilic Dufault, J. B. Dufault, 
Joseph Martel, Frs. Pinsonnault and Labonte, and 
others. A majority of these are now dead. 

Rev. Father Champagne, during the years 1S7S- 
1879, and 1880, occasionally attended Gentilly from 
Red Lake Falls, offering up the Holy Sacrifice of the 
Mass in the little frame district school house of the 
village. The first resident priest was Rev. A. Bouch- 
ard, who was appointed pastor of the parish in 
June, 1881, by the Right Reverend Rupert Seidem- 
busch, D. D., then Vicar Apostolic of Northern Minne- 
sota. The first presbytery and the first church were 
erected by Father Bouchard at a cost of $1,200; they 
were simple frame structures of modest dimensions, 
suitable, however, for the condition of the settlement, 
which comprised some 63 families. 

The faithful services of Father Bouchard termin- 
ated in 1884, when he was succeeded by Rev. C'. V. 
Gamaehe, who, during four years of pastorate, built 
an addition to the church for the accommodation of 
the increasing population and purchased the present 
cemetery in close proximity to the church. Father 
Gamaehe worked successfully in promoting the best 
interests of the parish, both spiritually and materi- 
ally. 

In November, 1888, Rev. E. Theillon, the present 
pastor, assumed charge of the parish, having been 
promoted by Bishop Seidembusch from Terrebonne, 
Minn. At his advent into the parish. Father Theillon 
found the population, chiefly farmers, somewhat dis- 
couraged because of the partial failure of crops 
caused by their farming methods ; but knowing that 
the material progress would i)romote, iii no small 
measure, the spiritual advancement of the members 
of the congregation, who were already leaving in 
large numbers, he advised and exhorted them to 
adopt diversified farming and was mainly instru- 
mental in la.ying the foundation of the now famous 
cheese factory of Gentilly, which has been and is to- 
day the main source of the present remarkable pros- 
perity of Gentilly. The Gentilly cheese has fre- 
quently taken the first premium in inter-State and 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



81 



intra-State contests and is known, on the market, 
as the "First Premium" cheese throughout the 
country. Amid this new prosperity the Gentilly par- 
ish has, under the able supervision of Father Theil- 
lon, built the present large presbytery, known as 
"the White House of Gentilly," and erected during 
the past year (1915) the beautiful brick church of 
gothic architecture, with artistic stained glass win- 
dows and furnishings, to the value of $35,000, prac- 
tically free from all indebtedness. This indicates the 
good financial condition of the Gentilly people, due 
mainly to their loyalty to their old pastor and church. 
It is well known that the spiritual condition of the 
parish has far exceeded its material progress. 



from St. Cloud. Soon the Hudson's Bay Company es- 
tablished a post at the present city of Grand Forks, 
and thus eliminated many hardships. As a conse- 
quence of this, settlers streamed into the Northwest, 
and the real development of the countrj' began. 



THE MAEAIS COMMUNITY, ITS EARLY PERMANENT 

SETTLEMENT, ITS PROGRESS, AND ITS 

PRESENT CONDITION. 

One of the very best districts in northwestern 
]\Iinnesota is what is known as the Marais Community. 
It is one of the oldest settled districts in Polk County 
and its local history is most interesting. It has been 
well described in an address by Peter Allan Gum- 
ming, a son of one of the first settlers of the Com- 
munity, before the Civics Club of the University of 
North Dakota and printed in the Grand Forks Herald 
of February 27, 1916. In part Mr. Gumming says : 

"In the year 1871 two middle aged Scotchmen, 
"William Fleming and Robert Coulter, accompanied 
by T. L. McVeety, migrated to Northern Minnesota 
in search of government land. "While camping one 
night upon the banks of the Red Lake river, seven 
miles from the present city of Grand Forks, they dis- 
cussed the possibilities of the district in which they 
were stopping. After examining the soil in the morn- 
ing and taking into consideration the possibilities of 
a nearby town and the prospects of good transporta- 
tion, they decided to settle there. These gentlemen 
formed the nucleus of the present Marais Community. 
For a few years they were the only settlers. During 
this time they underwent many hardships, for they 
were forced to draw all their provisions with oxen 



FIRST PERMANENT SETTLERS. 

Perhaps there were temporary settlers on the 
Marais a hundred years ago, for the trappers and 
fur hunters were here at that time, but we are not 
certain that this is true ; we are only certain that if 
white men lived here in "the long ago," they did 
not remain long and their occupation was unim- 
portant. Just across the river on the North Dakota 
side is the English Coulee, called by the early French- 
men in this quarter "La Coulee Anglais." Reliable 
accounts of the olden time say that this coulee was 
so named because, more than a hundred years ago, an 
English family, that of a trader or an employee of 
the Hudson's Bay Company, were murdered at this 
point, where the family were living. The names of 
these martyrs of civilization have not been preserved. 

The first permanent latter day settlers of the dis- 
trict, who have reclaimed it from wilderness and 
made it to "bloom and blossom as the rose," may be, 
in part at least, named here, according to so high an 
authority as Mr. James Gumming, who has long lived 
here. The very first were "W^m. Fleming and Robert 
Coulter, who settled in what is now the Marais Com- 
munity in 1871. These are the "two middle-aged 
Scotchmen" previously referred to. Fleming was 
born in Glasgow ; Coulter was a Scotch-Canadian, 
but his father was a native of Glasgow. Later in 
1871 came T. L. i\IcVeety and David Nisbet, two 
other Caledonians. In 1872 came James McRae and 
Archie McRae ; in 1875, James Nisbet ; in 1876, Rob- 
ert Nisbet and Joseph Robertson ; in 1877, James Rob- 
ertson, David Morrow, James McDonald, Donald ile- 
Donald, and Duncan Bain ; in 1878, J. A. Hannah ; in 
1879, James Shanks. All these men were either 
Scotchmen themselves or the descendants of Scotch- 
men. 



82 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



One of the first districts to become quickly settled 
was the present Marais community. It was not long 
until it eoinmcnced to organize. For many years this 
organization was crude, but since that time until the 
present day, development has been going on. This 
paper will not attempt to trace the developments, but 
rather will deal with this community in its present 
developed condition, although in a few instances a 
comparison will be made with conditions as they ex- 
isted ten years ago. 

This community, consisting of twenty-eight square 
miles, is situated in the west central part of Polk 
County, in the State of Minnesota. Its western 
boundary may be irregularly drawn about one mile 
east of East Grand Forks ; the southern boundary is 
formed by the Red Lake River; while the northern 
and eastern boundaries are but imaginary lines a few 
miles north and east from the banks of the Marais. 
Meandering through this community and dividing it 
nearly in two is the IMarais. This is an intermittent 
stream which is believed to have been once a river 
bed. This, together with the Red Lake River, pro- 
vided ample opportunities for proper drainage. The 
natural lay of the land, however, because of its gen- 
eral levelness did not give sufficient drainage, but 
the building of county ditches a few years ago along 
each highway running east and west and leading into 
either the Marais or the Red Lake River, completed 
a sufficient drainage. This situation, which gives the 
inhabitants easy access to the marketing towns of 
Crookston and Grand Forks, and which permitted the 
easy completion of an efficient drainage system, has 
been a great asset to the communitj'. 

In 1915 the approximate value of improved land 
in this community was $26 an acre ; to-day the aver- 
age value is about $85 per acre. This great increase 
in land is partly due to the complete drainage sys- 
tem ; partly to the improved conditions established 
by better building, and partly to the adoption of 
more scientific methods of farming, whereby the 3'ield 
per acre has been greatly increased. The increase in 
the valuation of buildings is in part due to the in- 
crease in cost of lumber, but nevertheless, many new 



buildings have been erected, which bears testimony 
to the prosperity of the community. The increase in 
the value of live stock is in part due to the rise of the 
market price, but it is also due to an increase in the 
number of stock as a consequence of a realization of 
the value of live stock. In the case of live stock, 
when considering cattle, the increase was from six 
to twelve head for each farm. 

Perhaps a part of this thrift may be accounted for 
when we learn of the people who compose this com- 
munity. Of the two hundred and eighty-nine inhab- 
itants, six are Norwegians, twelve Germans, twenty- 
two Irish and two hundred and forty-nine Scotch. 
The village of Mallory boasts of eleven inhabitants. 
It also boasts of the only bachelors in the community 
— two carpenters. 

In this village also is situated the most important 
school. There are four schools in the community 
having a combined enrollment of sixty-eight pupils. 
The Mallory School, established in 1870, derives its 
importance chiefly by being the instigator in leading 
the schools of the community with the East Grand 
Forks school system. 



THE CHURCHES. 



But the greatest institutions within this community 
are the churches. Of these there are two, one a Meth- 
odist church situated at jMallory, the other a Presby- 
terian church, situated on the banks of the Marais. 
The Methodist church was organized in 1885. It has 
but few members in the church, but they have man- 
aged to always help support a minister. Their strong- 
hold is in the Sunday school, in which they have 
fifty-one enrolled. Almost all this church's activities 
come through the young people's organization known 
as the Epworth League. • • • The chief church, 
however, is the Presbyterian. The activities of this 
church are felt far and wide. At the last meeting of 
the Presbytery it was shown that the Marais Church 
bested all of the other churches of Adams Presbytery 
in contributing to the various boards of both foreign 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



83 



and home missionaries. Of course a part of this 
comes through the Woman's Missionary Society. 

The church was organized in 1885, and the original 
members were Mrs. "Wm. Fleming, Mrs. Tena Lee, 
Christopher Coulter, Mrs. Elizabeth Coulter, S. S. 
Davidson, Mrs. S. S. Davidson, John Bryson, Mrs. 
Isabelle Bryson, Mrs. R. Bryson, John Hannah, Mrs. 
Janet Hannah, ilrs. Barbara McDonald, Margaret 
Lee Coulter, Mrs. Margaret Durtell, Mrs. Elizabeth 
Cumming, Mrs. Annie Robertson, Mrs. Agnes Stew- 
art, James McVeety, Mrs. Janet McVeety, Donald 
McDonald and wife, Charles McDonald, Robert Nis- 
bet, and Stephen Sprague. The elder was Donald 
McDonald. The deacons were J. A. Hannah and S. 
S. Davidson. The trustees were Robert Nisbet, John 
Bryson, Christopher Coulter, also treasurer; Charles 
McDonald and Stephen Sprague. The present mem- 
bership is 75. At iirst services were held in private 
houses, and after 1878 in the school house. 



yield per acre and for the highest grade of 



SOCIAL OEGANIZATIONS. 

Besides the schools and churches there are several 
organizations. The first which we might mention is 
the Mallory Burns Club. This club was organized in 
1900, and James Nisbet was the first President. On 
the 25th of January of each year, this club gives a 
banquet, entertainment and dance in commemoration 
of Robert Burns. Because it is one of the strongest 
of its kind in the northwest, Scotchmen come from 
far and near. Gifted players on the bagpipe, old- 
time Scotch dancers and singers, coupled with the 
talents of the younger generation, never fail in giving 
a splendid entertainment. The 25th of January is 
always remembered for months afterwards. 

A recently organized club is the Boys' Corn Club. 
With the East Grand Forks High School Agricultural 
Department at the head, all the boys imder eighteen 
years of age throughout the community are leagued 
together to foster the growth of corn. Prizes are 
offered by various concerns, such as the First Na- 
tional Bank of East Grand Forks for the largest 



corn. - * " 

For purely economic benefits are the Equity League 
and Farmers' Insurance Company. When this or- 
ganization was first organized, it was an attempt to 
co-operate the farmers. Although the farmers have 
failed in co-operating for selling, nevertheless, they 
have co-operated for buying, and thus have derived 
many benefits from the organization. The insurance 
company likewise has aided the farmers in sav- 
ing. * * * 

But the most valuable organization socially, edu- 
cationally and financially, is the Farmers' Club. This 
club was organized about two years ago, and has 
proven a great success. Here the farmers and their 
families meet once a month, and enjoy a real sociable 
time. A part of each program is always given over to 
entertainment 

This district, like the rest of the Red River Valley, 
M'as blessed by nature at the close of the glacial 
period by the deposition of a rich deep alluvial loam 
upon a yellow clay subsoil. At one time, this district 
was covered with trees, which have been chopped 
down. These trees left the soil rich in organic mat- 
ter. No better soil for agricultural purposes can be 
found anywhere. Besides this gift of a wonderful 
soil, the district was blessed by having two railroads 
cross its territory. These railroads establish spurs 
at almost every mile, thus giving great advantages 
for transportation. Three lines of farmers' telephones 
intersect the country, connecting them with the cities 
of Grand Forks and Crookston. Two rural free de- 
liveries leave the mail daily at almost every door. 
With the establishment of these facilities this district 
was brought into closer contact with the rest of the 
world. The consequence was a great upheaval in the 
methods of farming; a change of attitude toward 
higher learning, and a great change in crops. 

Well settled in a valuable, thickly populated com- 
munity, surrounded by the best environment which 
schools, churches, and other organizations can offer, 
and allowed ample opportunities for industrial ex- 



84 COMPENDIU:\r OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 

pansion, each individual of this eommunity holds a ment, but that development has by no means been 

feeling of gratitude towards the rest of the com- completed. The citizens realize that the future holds 

munity. This community has made great progress much for them, and it is almost certain that they will 

in the past, and today has a high stage of develop- keep pace with all progress and prosperity. 







^ o 



^ >^ 



: ffi 



K 

&^ 

[a 

-< of 



-< 

O 



^l^^&' 


IH 


Ml 










nl 


V 
'A' 






^ 

s 



y. 



< 



c 
o 

M 
O 



CHAPTER IX. 
CROOKSTON AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. 
By James A. Cathcart, Secretary of the Commercial Club. 

HISTORICAL SKETCH — CITY BUILDINGS AND OTHER PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS THE COMMERCIAL CLUB THU BANKS 

MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES THE CITY SCHOOLS — OTHER SCHOOLS LODGES AND OTHER CIVIC ORGANIZA- 
TIONS THE NORTHWESTERN MINNESOTA AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION HOSPITALS, ETC. 



Crookston, Minnesota, known as the Queen City of 
the Red River Valley, is the County Seat of Polk 
County and the largest and most important city in 
northwestern Minnesota. In size, Crookston ranks 
fourteenth in the state, its population (from 1915 city 
directory), being about 8,500. Early history shows 
the township of Crookston was organized March 28, 
1876. The town was incorporated in 1879 by a spe- 
cial law signed by Governor John S. Pillsbury. The 
name Crookston was given to both the town and town- 
ship in honor of Colonel William Crooks, of St. Paul, 
who was chief engineer in locating the first railroad 
in this section. This road was then known as the 
St. Paul & Pacific Railway, and during the year 1872 
was constructed from Glyndon through Crookston 
to the Snake River, where is now the city of Warren, 
Minnesota. 

Later the St. Paul & Pacific Railway was put in 
the hands of receivers, and for a number of years 
railroad construction work was at a standstill. In the 
fall of the year 1875 part of the rails north of Crooks- 
ton were taken up and used to turn the line to Fisher's 
Landing, a distance of eleven miles west of Crooks- 
ton. No other railroad extension work was attempted 
in this section until the year 1877, when the St. Paul 
& Pacific Railway, still in the hands of receivers, again 
took up the construction work of connecting certain 
portions of the road left unbuilt after the financial 



crisis of 1873. In 1878 the line from Crookston to 
Warren was reconstructed and the road extended to 
the Canadian boundai-y. During the following year, 
the road was also extended from Fisher's Landing to 
Grand Forks, North Dakota. In subsequent years 
the St. Paul & Pacific Railway was purchased by Mr. 
J. J. Hill and his associates, who rapidly increased 
the line by purchase and construction, building up 
what is now known as the Great Northern Railway 
System. Crookston is a Great Northern Railway Di- 
vision point, having the main lines to St. Paul, Winni- 
peg, and Duluth, connecting lines to the Pacific Coast, 
and branches to Fargo, Warroad, and St. Vincent. 

The Northern Pacific Railway was constructed from 
the south to Crookston and from Winnipeg to Grand 
Forks in the year 1889. It was not until 1890, how- 
ever, that, by the construction of the road from 
Crookston to Grand Forks, a through line was pro- 
vided from St. Paul to Winnipeg via Crookston. The 
year's delay in connecting the line was occasioned 
by right-of-way and crossing controversies between 
the Great Northern and Northern Pacific Railways. 

From the above facts, Crookston 's importance as 
a railroad center is quite evident, her transportation 
facilities including eight lines reaching directly to 
St. Paul and Minneapolis, to Duluth, to Winnipeg, to 
Fargo, to the Lake of the Woods country and across 
the State of North Dakota to the Pacific Coast. 



85 



86 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



THE city's buildings AND OTHER PUBLIC 
IMPROVEMENTS. 

Crookston takes just pride in its civic improve- 
ments. Its streets are clean and probably the best 
lighted of any city in the northwestern part of the 
State. It has thoroughly modern water and sewer 
systems, an efficient police department, a paid fire 
department, with modern equipment, a large and 
beautiful municipal park, and a children's play 
ground. The city engineer's report for 1915 shows 
the following improvements to December 31st : — 

Miles. 

Westrumito Paving 2.00 

Street Asphalt Paving 7 

Macadam Paving 7 

Gravel Paving 6-7 

Sewerage 11-2 

Cement Walks 2.3.7 

Water Mains l-^-O 

No. of Hydrants 98.0 

Telephone Lines — Pole 9-5 

Underground 2.U5 

Electric Line (C. W. W. P. & L. Co.) 17.0 

JSo. Arc Lights 66 

Blocks of White Way 10 

Gaa Mains 8.0 

The city's public buildings are modern and up-to- 
date, among the most important of which are the fol- 
lowing : 

City Hall $ 30,000.00 

Polk County Court House 75,000.00 

U. S. Post Office 90,000.00 

Armory (Seats 1,500) 40,000.00 

Grand Theatre (Seats 850) 30,000.00 

Library (4,600 Volumes) 17,500.00 

High School 150,000.00 

The United States Land Office for the Crookston 
district, covering the territory of the Minnesota Red 
River Valley, is located here, offices being provided 
in the United States Postoffice Building. 

The city has a Charter form of government with 
power vested in its executive officer, the mayor, and 
members of the city Council consisting of Aldermen, 
elected one from each of the various wards of the 
city and one Alderman-at-Large. At the County 
Election in the spring of 1915 Polk County was voted 
"Dry" and from November 27, 1915, Crookston has 
been without saloons. 



THE COMMERCIAL CLUB. 

For its population, Crookston has one of the strong- 
est and most active commercial organizations in the 
northwest. The membership numbers over 400 indi- 
viduals with a sufficient number of shares subscribed 
to provide an annual income of over ten thousand dol- 
lars ($10,000). A secretary is paid to devote all his 
time to looking after the Club's interests. Large and 
well-equipped club rooms are provided. The Club 
maintains the well-known Citizens Band of Crook- 
ston, one of the best municipal, mu.sical organizations 
in the state. 

Crookston is a well built city with many handsome 
brick and stone business blocks and a beautiful resi- 
dential section. The splendid hotel and other facili- 
ties makes the city an excellent meeting place for 
conventions. 

BANKS. 

The city has five banks representing a capital stock 
of Two Hundred and Eighty Thousand Dollars 
(.$280,000). The deposits in these banks, on Decem- 
ber 1, 1915, aggregated the sum of Three Million, 
Eight Hundred and Eighty Five Thousand Dollars 
($3,885,000). The banks are as follows: 

Name Capital Stock 

Crookston State Bank $40,000 

First National Bank 75,000 

Merchants National Bank 75,000 

Polk County State Bank 40,000 

Scandia American Bank 50,000 

MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES. 

Crookston is rapidly assuming importance as a 
manufacturing center. Manufactured goods, to the 
amount of about five million dollars ($5,000,000.00), 
are put out annually and hundreds of men are given 
steady employment in the various plants. Among 
the most important of Crookston 's manufacturing 
industries is that of the Crookston Milling Company, 
whose plant is valued at one hundred thousand dol- 
lars ($100,000.00), and who have just completed a new 
75,000 bushel capacity elevator at a cost of twenty-five 



/ 




COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



87 



thousand dollars ($25,000.00). This plaut is being 
run at capacity (500 barrels per day) the year around 
and employs twenty-five men. The value of the 
Crookston Milling Company's products aggregates 
one million dollars ($1,000,000.00) annually. The 
Bridgeman-Russell Company manufacture at its local 
plant over one million pounds of butter each year. 
Among the other manufacturing industries of the city 
are numbered bakers, two; blank book manufacturers 
and binders, one; bottlers, two; box and tank manu- 
facturer, one; brewery, one; brick and tile, two; 
cereal, one ; cigar manufacturers, four ; foundries, ma- 
chinists, and boiler makers, three ; ice cream and con- 
fection manufactures, five ; machinery manufacturers, 
two; marble and granite works, two; printers, four; 
sash and door manufacturers, two; sign and motor 
car enameling works, one; silo manufacturer, one; 
tannery, one ; tent and awning, one ; upholsterers' tow, 
one; wagons and sleighs, two. The city also has two 
substantial wholesale grocery houses and three grain 
elevators. 

Crookston is fortunate in having a big supply of 
water power (electrical). This is derived from the 
Red Lake River at two points, one station situated 
within the city limits and the other about four miles 
to the east. Cheap electrical power, excellent railroad 
facilities, and plenty of labor at reasonable wages 
make Crookston a desirable location for manufactur- 
ing indu^ries. 

CROOKSTON CITY SCHOOLS. 

One of the chief problems to solve in any commun- 
ity is the provision of adequate educational facilities 
for its young people. Crookston believes that every 
child within its borders is entitled to a school environ- 
ment which is conducive to its highest development, 
mentally, morally, and physically. One will be con- 
vinced of this fact by a visit to the new $150,000 
Central High School, with its equipment for all de- 
partments of secondary education, which are in the 
hands of well trained and experienced instructors, 
and also note that another $150,000 is invested in five 



grade buildings located in various sections of the city, 
which care for the pupils below the seventh grades. 

The upper grades are organized on the junior- 
senior high school plan, which is now being followed 
in all the leading schools. Beginning with the 
seventh grade, three courses are offered — academic, 
industrial, and commercial, which afford the boy 
or girl an opportunity to select what will be of the 
greatest value to him or her, if it be not possible to 
complete the high school course. Other advantages 
are that promotion is made by subject instead of by 
grade, thus bridging over the gap between the eighth 
grade and the high school, which previously was the 
means of preventing many from continuing their 
work in the higher grades. In the Crookston schools 
last year only eleven per cent did not enter the senior 
high school from the eighth grade. 

The Senior High School is directed by a principal 
who has sixteen assistants. Complete courses are 
offered in the following: Academic subjects, teacher 
training, commercial, industrial, art, and public 
speaking. Specialists in music and drawing super- 
vise these subjects throughout the entire system. 

The following statistics will be of interest as indi- 
cating the extensiveness of our school system: Total 
enrollment is as follows: Senior High School, 300; 
Junior High School, 250; grades below the sixth, 
850. Fifty persons are on the faculty, whose annual 
salaries amount to $35,000. Adding to this money 
paid for janitor and office help, the total salary 
schedule for the year amounts to nearly $45,000. 
School property is valued as follows: Grounds, $35,- 
000; buildings, $300,000; furnishings, $10,000; 
equipment, $5,200, or a total of $350,000. 

OTHER SCHOOLS. 

In addition to the public schools, Crookston has 
also the Cathedral School, providing various grade 
work and full high-school courses. The high-school 
enrollment is forty and the grades one hundred sixty. 
The school is under the superintendence of the Bishop 
and directed by a principal who has eight assistants 
of the Sisters of St. Benedict, of Duluth. 



88 



COMPENDIUiM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



The Cathedral School building is a fiue structure, 
erected and equipped at a cost of $75,000.00, and con- 
tains club rooms and gymnasium and an auditorium 
with a seating capacity of seven hundred. 

Another institution of education is the St. Joseph 
Academy, under the direction of the Sisters of St. 
Joseph. The courses provide, including high school 
work, grade and kindergarten, the attendance in each 
being twenty-five, one hundred and forty, and thirty- 
five respectively. This school is housed in a beautiful 
structure, located on Houston Avenue, and erected 
and equipped at a cost of appro.ximately one hundred 
thousand dollars. 

Other Crookston educational institutions include the 
Crookston College, providing commercial courses, 
shorthand, typewriting, and preparatory work; also 
automobile, gas and steam engineering. The faculty 
consists of the president and five assistants ; the enroll- 
ment is about two hundred and fifty. The Crookston 
College property and equipment are valued at forty 
thousand dollars. 

A branch of the University of Minnesota, the North- 
west School of Agriculture, is located at Crookston. 
Elsewhere in this volume a special chapter is given 
to this institution. 

CHURCHES. 

The religious field of Crookston has not been 
neglected. Nearly every denomination is represented 
and the city has fourteen splendid church edifices, two 
Catholic, one Episcopal, and eleven other Protestant 
churches, divided as follows, one Congregational, 
seven Lutheran, two Methodists, and one Presbyterian. 
There is also a Christian Science society. 

LODGES. 

Nearly all of the important secret societies, lodges, 
etc., are well represented in Crookston, among which 
are, Ancient, Free, and Accepted Masons, Royal Arch 
Masons, Knights Templar, Order of Eastern Star, Odd 
Fellows, Rebecca Lodge, Knights of Columbus, 
Ancient Order United "Workmen, Degree of Honor, 



Elks, Catholic Order of Foresters, Ladies of the 
Catholic Order of Foresters, Royal Arcanum, Modern 
Woodmen of America, Royal Neighbors of America, 
Knights and Ladies of the Maccabees, Modern Samari- 
tans, Moose, Modern Brotherhood of America, the 
Equitable Fraternal Union, Fraternal Order of 
Eagles, Independent Order of Foresters, Brotherhood 
of American Yeomen, Sons of Norway, Independent 
Scandinavian Workmen's Association, Sons of Her- 
mann, United Commercial Travelers, and Women's 
Christian Temperance Union. Among other associa- 
tions are numbered the Crookston Commercial Club, 
Germania Hall Association, Crookston Rod & Gun 
Club, Tennis Club, Citizens' Band of Crookston, Mer- 
chants' Association, Crookston Automobile Club, Vi- 
king Chorus, Red River Valley Medical Association, 
and the Northwestern Minnesota Agricultural As- 
sociation. 

NORTHWESTERN AGRICULTUR.\L ASSOCIATION. 

The grounds of the Northwestern Minnesota Agri- 
cultural Association consisting of sixty -eight acres are 
located one half mile north of the city. The annual 
fairs are put on in July, and draw exhibits and 
patronage from all of northwestern Minnesota, parts 
of North and South Dakota and Wisconsin. Particu- 
lar attention has been given to the matter of exhibits 
and the institution has become a farmer's affair in the 
broadest sense. Good amusement features have also 
been provided and the excellent manner in which the 
yearly fairs and expositions have been handled has 
made the enterprise very beneficial and popular with 
the people. 

HOSPITALS. 

Three high class hospitals are located at Crookston, 
namely : The Bethesda Hospital, the St. Vincent Hos- 
pital, and the Polk and Norman County Tubercular 
Sanitarium. These hospitals are strictly modern and 
up-to-date. The Bethesda and St. Vincent are each 
equipped to handle about thirty-five patients and the 
Sanitarium thirty patients. The Bethesda Hospital is 




THE GROOKSTON DAM 
Built hy W. J. Murphy in ]ftl4 



COMPENDIUM OP HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 89 

operated under the direction of the Bethesda Hospital grounds and equipment are valued at approximately 

Association, and the investment in building, ground $50,000. The Sanitarium is a Polk and Norman 

and fixtures is approximately $25,000. The St. Vin- County institution and their property is valued at 

cent Hospital is under the direction of the Benedictine about $70,000. 
Sisters' Benevolent Association and the buildings, 



CHAPTER X. 

THE NEWSPAPERS OP POLK COUNTY. 

By W. E. McKenzie, Crookston Times. 

newspaper conditions past and present land notices paid the pioneer printers e. m. walsh and the 

crookston plaindealer — first paper was the polk county journal — brown and his " broad axe " 

the tragic tale op the northern tier — the crookston chronicle — the fisher bulletin the papers 

OF 1882 — RED LAKE FALLS DEMOCRAT AND THE CROOKSTON TIMES FIRST DEMOCRATIC PAPERS ^THE m'iNTOSH 

TIMES — CROOKSTON TRIBUNE-^HE VESTESHEIMEN — THE PEOPLE'S PRESS — OTHER POLK COUNTY P^ERS ALIVE 



AND DEAD. 



i'E-^l 



The history of Polk County newspapers is largely 
within the period of the personal experience and ob- 
servation of the Writer. It is the period of the great- 
est evolution of the newspaper and publishing busi- 
ness of any similar lapse of time in the history of the 
world — the period of the perfecting press, and the 
linotype machine, of the big penny paper, and the 
rural free delivery, which has put tlie daily news- 
paper into the hands of the farmers and people liv- 
ing in outlying country villages all over the United 
States. It is a period coincident with the period of 
accomplishment in all lines of human endeavor in 
all climes and countries. 

To go back to the early history of Polk County 
newspaperdom — not the earliest histoi-y by a few 
years — is to go back to my boj^hood, and, with the aid 
of a halting memory, to recapture, so far as possible 
from the dim storehouse of things, half forgotten, the 
incidents connected with the propitious birth, the 
illustrious or inglorious career, and in many cases the 
untimely death, of Polk County newspapers. 

Thirty years ago Polk County supported twenty- 
one newspapers. To-day there are but nine in the 
county, and twelve in the territory composing Polk 
County at that time, but now divided into the coun- 



ties of Polk, Red Lake, and part of Pennington. The 
falling off in the number of papers is due to two main 
causes — the establishment of rural mail routes, and 
the loss of patronage derived from the publication of 
final proof and contest notices on Government Land. 

LAND NOTICES PAID THE PIONEER PRINTERS. 

In the early history of Polk County newspapers 
the final proof and contest notices were the chief, and 
in some cases practically the entire, support upon 
which the pioneer publisher leaned. Wherever there 
was a postoffice, and considerable quantities of Gov- 
ernment land being proved up, there the intrepid edi- 
tor, with a big case of nonpareil type for setting land 
notices, and a cigarbox full of long primer for setting 
the two or three inches of news and the editorial, 
pitched his tent, and began to accumulate a fortune. 

Three dollars for final proof notices and five dol- 
lars for contest notices was the rate allowed by the 
Government. The notices had to be published in the 
paper nearest the land, so as to make no slashing of 
rates or dividing up with "the attorney in the case," 
which has taken many thousands of dollars in money 
which belonged to tlie newspapers and distributed the 
sum among the "poor and needy" in the legal pro- 
fession. 



90 



COMPENDIUM OP HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



91 



Some of the papers in those days carried as high 
as two or three pages of land notices, set in solid 
nonpareil, and their incomes from this source ran as 
high as $150 or $200 a week. No wonder those early 
publishers were optimists of the most virulent type! 
No wonder they were boosters of the brightest luster ! 
No wonder the publisher at Red Lake Falls saw in 
his town, of one store and two saloons, a "Second 
Minneapolis," and the editor at St. Hilairc, with two 
stores, three saloons, and a blacksmith shop, went his 
rival one better, and christened his town the "Second 
Chicago," and in leaded long primer proved it, too, 
to his own satisfaction at least. 

But their dreams of future greatness, colored by 
the roseatg-hue of their present prosperity, were not 
to be for long. The country was rapidly settled. 
The public land passed from the Government to the 
pioneer farmer, and the fat pickings from final proof 
notices began to dwindle, until now the publisher of 
a Polk County paper would not recognize a laud no- 
tice, if he tripped over it. The rural mail carrier 
was the next shadow to be cast across the sunlit path 
of the early Polk County publisher. He pushed out 
daily into the highways and byways, where the local 
weekly had reigned supreme, and brought with him 
the daily papers of the neighboring towns and the big 
cities, and, with circulation decreasing and income 
diminishing, the life of the pioneer publisher began 
to be cast along hard lines. The big city papers, es- 
pecially the weekly editions, competed with the local 
journals to the letter's great disadvantage. Many a 
Polk County man, disgracefully deficient in public 
spirit and local patriotism, cut off his home paper and 
subscribed for a city sheet instead. 

Some branched into other, and more profitable 
fields, others folded their tents and sought new pas- 
tures, and others hung on and on, and weut down 
with their colors flying. Of the twenty-one papers 
that flourished in Polk County thirty years ago, but 
four are in existence today, and of the publishers 
of thirty years ago the writer of this article is the 
only one who survives in the business. 



E. M. WALSH AND THE CROOKSTON PLAINDEALEB. 

E. M. Walsh was Polk County's first editor and 
publisher. In 1874 he established the Crookston 
Plaindealer. It was printed at Grand Forks in the 
office of the Grand Forks Plaindealer, which was es- 
tablished and then being conducted by his brother, 
George Walsh. The Crookston Plaindealer was con- 
ducted as a side issue to ilr. Walsh's other activities. 
He was postmaster, storekeeper, real estate dealer, 
land locator, and a few other things in those days, 
and when John McLean, now long since dead, but 
then in the hey-day of his youth, came up from Audu- 
bon to practice law and establish the Polk County 
Journal, Mr. Wal^Ji gladly transferred the literary, 
social, and political burden to his shoulders, and the 
Plaindealer ceased to exist. 

POLK COUNTY JOURNAL FIRST PAPER PRINTED IN THE 
COUNTY. 

The Journal, like the Plaindealer, was at that time 
a branch or offshot of another publication. It was 
the offspring of the Audubon Journal, published by 
Harvey E. Cooke, and was printed in Audubon for 
several months after it was established here. But 
about that time Crookston began to assume the airs 
of a civilized community. Settlers were coming in, 
the trees had been chopped out of the ground on Main 
Street, and one or two other stores had been estab- 
lished; the Pioneer Hotel had been erected, the tin 
horn gambler, the tent saloon, and the dance hall were 
established institutions. The Crookston offspring of 
the Journal soon reached a stature, where it over- 
topped its parent. It looked as if Crookston was to 
be "some town," and Mr. Cooke wisely decided to 
leave Audubon to rot in ignorance and folly, and to 
move his plant to Crookston. The Audubon Journal 
was accordingly discontinued, and in 1878 the Polk 
County Jom-nal, the first paper to be published and 
printed in the County, was born. 

For over a quarter of a century Mr. Cooke was the 
guiding star in the Journal's destiny, and never was 
there an issue of that paper that was not made in- 



92 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



teresting to a large family of readers while he was its 
editor and publisher. He was a ready and entertain- 
ing writer, possessed a great fund of dry humor, com- 
"bined with much common sense; he knew, better per- 
haps than any other man who had ever occupied an 
editorial chair in this County, how to shape his edi- 
torial expressions, and present the news most effect- 
ively. He was not as good a business manager as he 
was an editor, and while the Journal prospered fairly 
well, it did not make any big fortune for its owner. 
Mr. Cooke died in the harness in 1900, and Mi-s. Cooke 
took charge of the Journal for a few months, when 
it was sold to N. S. Gordon. He began, shortly after 
his purchase, the publication of a daily edition, which 
was continued with many ups and downs, and under 
various managements, until 1910, when it was tiually 
discontinued and the plant was purchased and the 
paper merged with the Times. 

BROWN .\ND HIS BROADAXE. 

The next paper to embark upon the treacherous 
sea of Polk County journalism was the Broadaxe. 
"Broadaxe Brown" is the only name which the editor 
was ever known by. He was an itinerant printer of 
the tramp variety. The motto of the Broadaxe was 
"Hew to the line, let the chips fall where they may." 
The line was rather a crooked one in Brown's case; 
but the chips were plentiful, and many was the good 
citizen who was banged in the neck with one of them. 
The Broadaxe, i;nder those circumstances, had a short 
and exciting cax-eer. It was started one bright, sun- 
lit day in the spring of 1880; but before the frosts 
had nipped the foliage in the fall the Broadaxe had 
ceased to hew. In the last issue, which was printed on 
butcher's straw wrapping paper. Brown — in delight- 
fully frank, if not overly elegant, language — expressed 
his opinion of the town, and of a lot of the leading 
citizens, and he then quietly disappeared. He left 
in the night, a proceeding which showed his com- 
prehensive conception of the axiom that "discretion 
is the better part of valor." There were many look- 
ing for Broadaxe Brown the next day — those with 



bills to collect, as well as those with grievances to 
avenge; but Broadaxe Brown has been but a troubled 
memory from that day to this. There are people still 
living here who do not like the name of Brown. 

THE TR.VGIC TALE OF THE "NORTHERN TIER." 

Captain Arnold was the next soldier of fortune to 
tilt a lance against the windmill of early day journal- 
ism. His paper was the Northern Tier, named for 
the four counties of large proportions, though limited 
population, that constituted the territory along the 
northern boundary of the State. The Northern Tier 
was started at the same time the Broadaxe was cut- 
ting the deepest gashes into the characters of leading 
citizens. Its life was also fleeting. Captain Arnold 
was a man of distinguished military appearance, and 
brilliant attainments. lie was a good mixer, but a 
poor financier. The local columns of the paper were 
crowded with personal "jollies" for Tom, Dick, and 
Harry. Every citizen was mentioned by his or her 
Christian name, and they were all smilingly present 
when the roll was called in the local items each week. 
There was no room left for advertising, and the ghost 
failed to walk after the first few weeks — and then the 
Northern Tier's light went out. 

A year or two later (in the year of 1883 to be exact), 
Captain Arnold came back. He had found a financier 
in the person of H. W. McCall. McCall was also a 
capitalist, in a limited way, but made no claims to 
being a newspaper man. Arnold and McCall had 
also gathered together a number of brilliant young 
fellows, whom they had induced to cast their lot with 
them and gather riches and renown in the revival of 
the Northern Tier and its publication as a daily. 

There was Billy Stark, a live wire reporter; J. A. 
McNair, an up-to-date advertising manager; an Eng- 
lishman of studious mien, and Cockney accent whose 
name I have forgotten, who was to be city editor, and 
Albert Kaiser and E. U. Ilauser, who were just print- 
ers. But the craft was too heavy — too many officers 
on the bridge, and too few seamen before the mast. 
When the waves of financial disaster began to roll 



COMPENDIUM OP HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



93 



over its decks Captain Arnold was the first to be 
tossed overboard. He drifted to St. Paul, and from 
there to the Soldiers Home, where he remained until 
he died. The others hung on a month or two longer. 
Then came the crash. 

A fact worthy of mention in connection with the 
passing of the Northern Tier is, that the only two men 
whose whereabouts are known are the two who acted 
as deck hands on the wreck — Albert Kaiser and E. U. 
Hauser. The former is the wealthy president of the 
Pirst National Bank of Bagley, and the latter is a 
millionaire member of the firm of the Grant Smith 
Company, one of the largest firms of railroad con- 
tractors in the United States. 

THE CROOKSTON CHRONICLE. 

Previous to the revival of the Northern Tier, or in 
1881, W. R. Dunn, a young newspaper man in search 
of a location, drifted in this direction. He found 
Crookston a thriving town of over 1,000 people, the 
county seat of a county big enough, and rich enough 
in natural resources, to support a nation. Brother 
Crooke, with his Journal, was fighting the battle for 
education and reform all alone. Mr. Dunn was not 
deaf, or near sighted. He heard the call of duty and 
rushed forward and dug himself in with the Crooks- 
ton Chronicle. 

The Chronicle was a good newspaper, as newspapers 
went in those days — newsy, well edited, clean and 
able. Mr. Dunn was a lovable, upstanding, kindly 
man, an able writer, honest and straightforward in 
his convictions, and in his business methods. The 
Chronicle prospered, and in a short time became the 
leading paper in Northern Minnesota. Owing to the 
ill health of the editor the Clironicle was sold in 1884 
to J. G. McGrew, and Mr. Dunn went to Washington, 
D. C, where he secured a government appointment 
in the census department, which he held until his 
death a couple of years later. 

Mr. McGrew, who succeeded Mr. Dunn, was a law- 
yer. He had been practicing in Crookston for sev- 
eral years previous, and continued to practice for a 



year after making the purchase. The writer was then 
put in charge of the Chronicle until Mr. McGrew 
closed up his legal practice, and assumed personal 
control. Mr. McGrew was not a success as a news- 
paper man. He was a profound and able editorial 
writer ; but not a good news gatherer or business man- 
ager. He soon realized this, and turned the paper 
over to a nephew, who was even more proficient in his 
inability to make ends meet in a financial way. W. H. 
Palmer and his son, Harry Palmer, were the next to 
try to rejuvenate the paper. They tried it as a 
daily ; but it would not go somehow, and in a month 
or two they discontinued it for good — -with numerous 
creditors bewailing its loss. 

In the meantime the County was filling up rapidly 
with new settlers. Towns were springing up, and 
what perhaps was the nearest approach to a boom 
ever known in this section was on. 

THE FISHER BULLETIN. 

In 1882 the Pisher Bulletin was started, by A. 
Dewey. He was a product of the celebrated Kindred- 
Nelson Congressional fight inaugurated that year. A 
politician, a political writer, stump speaker, and a 
man of recognized ability, but of questionable finan- 
cial strength, he existed for a time on the returns from 
the plethoric Kindred coffers and then drifted back 
to a place on the staff of a Metropolitan paper from 
which he had emanated. He was succeeded by C. C. 
Knappen, and he by a son of Erin, named Shaugh- 
nessy, who conducted the last wake over the remains 
of the Bulletin. Fisher has not had a paper since. 

THE PAPERS ESTABLISHED IN 1882. 

The Red Lake Palls Gazette, the St. Hilaire Spec- 
tator, the East Grand Forks Courier, and the Fertile 
Journal were all started during the year 1882, and all 
are still in existence. The Red Lake Palls Courier, 
and the Fertile Jouimal, if my memory serves me, were 
founded by Fred Puhler, long since dead. The East 
Grand Forks Courier was started and conducted for 
many years by P. J. Duffy, who, by combining it with 
other business interests, made a fortune upon which 



94 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



he is now living. The writer was responsible for the 
St. Ililaire Spectator. 

THE THIRTEEN TOWNS. 

In the year 1883 Albert Kaiser went to Fosston, 
and founded the well known journal called the Thir- 
teen Towns. He possessed the rare combination of 
a good newspaper man and a good business man. In 
a year or two he had saved enough money to go into 
the banking business at Fosston, and sold the Thir- 
teen Towns to W. A. Foss, who is still conducting it 
successfully. 

FIRST DEMOCRATIC PAPERS — RED LAKE PALLS DEMOCRAT 
AND THE CROOKSTON TIMES. 

The same year F. J. Rothpletz, a Southei-n fire- 
eating Democrat, started the Red Lake Falls Demo- 
crat, but the surroundings were not congenial to one 
of his fiery temperament. The Chronicle was then 
started on its downward journey to oblivion, and he 
came to Crookston, and engaged the distinguished 
services of the writer to help launch a Democratic 
paper, which was named the Times. 

This was in the summer of 1885. Things went 
swimmingly until the icy bla.sts of winter began to 
howl upon us. Then Mr. Rothpletz began to pine for 
his sunny Southern clime, and I nursed a lusty ambi- 
tion to be the sole owner, and publisher of the Times. 
Mr. Rothpletz went to Tennessee, I went to work, 
and I also went into debt. In 1887 the Daily Times 
was launched. Both Daily and Weekly are still pub- 
lished at the old stand. Subscription prices on appli- 
cation. 

THE M 'iNTOSH TIMES. 

In the year 1886 there was a demand for a paper 
at Mcintosh, and I joined with C. F. Lommen in es- 
tablishing the Mcintosh Times. After a year or two 
Mr. Lomman became obsessed with the idea that he 
was healthy and wealthy enough to monopolize the 
whole business, and I, in turn was magnanimous 
enough to let him — after I had gotten a good price 



for my interest. He conducted the paper success- 
fully for ten or twelve years when he, aided and 
abetted by a frugal wife, and a growing family of 
boys, had gained sufficient intelligence and filthy 
lucre to own and stock a dairy farm, which he is now 
conducting with ability and profit. Since then the 
Mcintosh Times has passed through various hands; 
but, though ancient, is not yet extinct. 

THE CROOKSTON TRIBUNE. 

Tlie Crookston Tribune — first a weekly, then a daily, 
and then a memory — was a later Crookston venture. 
It was published by Hammond & Allen, the former 
a good practical printer, but not a trained newspaper 
man ; the latter a humorist, whose forte was on the 
vaudeville stage instead of the editorial sanctum. 
After its demise Hammond went back to setting type, 
and at last accounts Allen was doing a monologue 
stunt in tank towns. 

Then there was the Gully Sunbeam, established by 
Mr. Hunt, and noted for its phonetic spelling, and 
athletic English. It is still running, but under new 
management, and is to-day a well l)alanced and suc- 
cessful local paper. 

THE VASTESHEIMEN. 

The Vastesheimen is a Scandinavian paper, started 
in Crookston in the early nineties, by Adolph Bydal, 
and continued later by A. J. Johnson, and is now 
being published by G. T. Hagen. It is a paper of 
extensive circulation and much influence among the 
Scandinavian readers. 

THE POPULISTIC PEOPLE'S PRESS. 

When the Crookston Chronicle gave up the ghost, 
the plant was taken over by C. C. and Harry Knappin 
— the latter a well known political writer connected 
with the Twin City papers for many years — and was 
used in publishing the People's Press. This was in 
the days when Populism was rampant in the political 
bull ring. From them it passed to A. R. Holston, an 
attorney with Socialistic tendencies, now of Los An- 



COMPENDIUM OP HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



95 



geles, California. He was succeeded by Mr. Hagen, 
the present publisher of the Vastesheimen who added 
a prohibition hue to its editorial policy. Ellas Steen- 
erson, then Postmaster, had it wished ou him, and it 
became the distinguished exponent of pure and unde- 
filed Republicanism. Three years ago Crawford and 
Egley purchased the Press, and are now conducting 
it successfully as a semi-weekly. 

OTHER COUNTY PAPERS LIVING AND DEAD. 

The Erskine Echo, and the Climax Chronicle are the 
only two of the later-day weeklies not previously 
mentioned that are still in existence. There are sev- 
eral others, like the Mcintosh Tribune, the Euclid 
Eagle, the Beltrami Chronicle, most of which died 



' ' aborning, ' ' and left hardly a scratch, on the tablets 
of fame. 

There are many side lights and incidents connected 
with the history of Polk County journalism, proclaim- 
ing the joys of temporary victories or the sorrows of 
disastrous defeats, which would make a long and inter- 
esting chapter; but they cannot be recorded here. 
Sufficient to say that the newspaper history of Polk 
County is coincident with the material progress of 
the County itself. In every instance, in every sec- 
tion, the newspapers have been the advance guard in 
the march toward a higher and better order of things. 
They have had their ups and downs, their trials, 
temptations, and disasters; but their tendencies have 
always been cast on the side of better living, and better 
citizenship, for greater striving and bigger ideals. 



CHAPTER XI. 

THE SCHOOLS OF POLK COUNTY. 

By N. a. Thorson. 

basis for school dkvelopment — the coming of the county's schools — county schools in 1877 and in 
1878 — first public school te.vcher, luella may thompson other early teachers the county su- 
perintendents — reports op school years from 1882 to 1908 — the conditions in 1910 — sources op 
school support — apportionment — statistics of state and other aids — present conditions op polk 
county schools. 



MATERIAL BASIS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT. OF SCHOOLS. 

The State school system embraces the schools of 
each individual county, and one cannot be considered 
without the other. In order to understand better why 
the schools in Polk County have developed thus, we 
need to call to mind some of the factors in education 
in Minnesota. 

The Federal Government gave to the people of Min- 
nesota certain tracts of land, the benefits from which 
were to go to the common schools, the University and 
other public institutions. No grants were made to 
normal schools. The people were given these lands 
in trust, and, as trustees of a great wealth, it was their 
duty to increase the same for the benefit of themselves 
and the generations yet unborn. No restrictions were 
placed upon the State as to the disposition and use 
of school lands, and as a result, through the wise plan- 
ning of our early law-makers, we own a permanent 
school fund excelling that of every other state. 
Amounting to $3,191,042 in 1875, shortly after Polk 
County was organized, it had grown to $24,668,248 in 
1914, and is now increasing at the rate of nearly a 
million dollars yearly. Sections 16 and 36 in every 
congressional township were designated as "school 
lands," as the result of an act of Congress of 1849, 



when Minnesota was formed into a Territory. In 
1851, by a similar act, grants for the State University 
were made. These were doubled in 1857. 

To one man more than to any other perhaps, must 
be given credit for the satisfactory condition of our 
permanent school fund, and that man was Governor 
Alexander Ramsey. In Minnesota history he is styled, 
"the Father of the School Fund," which title he justly 
earned in bringing before the people the question as 
to whether the school fund should be one with deferred 
blessings and administered along the sanest and safest 
lines, or if we should look for immediate benefits which 
would prove to be premature before long. In his mes- 
sage to the Legislature in 1861 he said : " * * * 
Of this magnificent gi-ant, the gift of the nation to 
all the millions who are to inhabit the soil of Minne- 
sota, you are the stewards in their behalf, and it de- 
volves upon you to see that the sacred trusts involved 
are faithfully executed." When some held that the 
administration of the school lands was too great a 
task for a central State authority to perform, and that 
it had better be left to each county to use the school 
lands within its boundaries as seemed best to that 
county. Gov. Ramsey's idea again won the day and 
the result is the administration by State authority of 



96 









o 








ii; 


a 


o 


H 


cr' 


W 








o 


UJ 


H 








ro 




--I 


Cj 




1 1 














(• 




t- 


u 


t^ 






n. 


1- 


s 


c 




r"! 


o 


►V 


o 


H 


(— ' 


K^ 


ro 




rt> 




fi3 






o 
o 

CO 

o 



CO 

o 
o 

O 



o 



o 
o 
a 




COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



97 



all school lands. That this was the wisest policy may 
be concluded from the fact that not one dollar of the 
public school fund has been lost through investment. 
A minimum price was placed upon school lands and 
the disposal of the same was to be at public auction. 

Timber school lands proved very valuable and soon 
the sale on such lands was discontinued until the tim- 
ber had been cut and sold. The Legislature of 1855 
provided that, except when in danger of waste or in- 
jury, timber lands should not be sold. There remain, 
therefore, today school lands whose maturing timber 
accrues to the general fund. 

The discovery of iron ore on some of the school 
lands added a new chapter to the story of the almost 
fabulous fund. No more ore lands were sold as be- 
fore, but instead they were leased for twenty-five cents 
on each ton of iron ore mined. Mineral rights are now 
reserved for the State on all lands sold in the future. 
The funds obtained from the direct sale of school 
lands, timber sale, and ore revenue invested in good 
securities yields the money which together with the 
State one-mill tax is paid to school districts as appor- 
tionment on the basis of the number of pupils who 
have attended forty days or more in a school year. 
Here then is the material basis for our public school 
system. The following table is a vivid representa- 
tion of growth of the school fund : 

APPORTIONMENT PER PUPIL. 



1873 


1904 


1906 


1908 


1910 


1912 


1914 


$0.96 


$2.65 


$3.80 


$4.60 


$4.90 


$5.12 


$5.80 



It is not likely that this fund will ever be large 
enough to support the school system without the local 
district tax and State aid, but it will always guaran- 
tee free education to all. 

EARLY HISTORY AND THE COMING OP THE SCHOOLS IN 
POLK COUNTY. 

As has already been alluded to, Polk County was 
officially organized in 1873. The nation at large would 
soon celebrate the centennial anniversary of its birth. 
Minnesota had existed as a Territory since 1849 and 
as a State since 1858. The superintendent of public 



instruction had already issued his thirteenth annual 
report which would seem to indicate that the school 
system had progressed to a considerable degree. 
Things governmental were in the very beginning, how- 
ever, in the vast region of northwestern Minnesota 
which then bore the name of Polk County, almost a 
veritable empire in extent, or at least several times 
larger than the present county. The U. S. census 
showed no return.s for 1870 from Polk County. Im- 
migration from neighboring States and Canada soon 
resulted in early settlements, mainly along the Red 
River and in the vicinity of Crookston and Fisher. 

Despite the iive years of hard times, the population 
had grown to nearly 1,000 in 1875. It was here that 
hopeful and courageous people were to work out a 
future. With the early settler came also the country 
school, to keep open the channels of literacy by teach- 
ing mainly reading, 'riting, and 'rithmetie, the time- 
honoi'ed "3 R's." The rural school— there was no 
other — arose originally as essentially a local com- 
munity affair. Apportionment and other financial 
aids from the State were almost nil, but the school 
district and the district school arose in response to 
community needs. While the organization of school 
districts took place under the provisions of State law, 
much local concern and control of the most detailed 
kind characterized school-building in the early days. 
Here was a form of "extended democracy." When 
a school had once been decided upon, it became the 
concern of the community in a marked degree. The 
construction of the furniture ; the length of the school 
term, if it can be said to have had length ; the choice 
of teacher and how much to pay her ; the itinerary in 
the now obsolete "boarding-around" plan,— these and 
other details were the direct concern of parents. The 
extreme simplicity of the country school made it well 
adapted to pioneer days. State control existed, but 
manifested itself in a lesser degree than now. 

THE teARLY COUNTY SUPERINTENDENTS. 

LTnder proceedings in 1872 which were not legalized 
until the creation of the county the following year, 



98 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



Richard J. Reis was appointed County Superintend- 
ent of Schools for Polk County. The real beginning 
of the schools, however, came in 1876, when District 
No. 1 was organized at Crookston. The same year, 
by action of the county board, Christopher Steenerson, 
who now resides at Climax, this county, was dulj' ap- 
pointed Superintendent of Schools with a salary of 
fifty dollars the first year. He served in that capacity 
until the next election, when he was chosen by the 
people to serve two more years. In view of the un- 
authorized proceedings mentioned above before the 
county was duly formed, and in view of the fact that 
Mr. Steenerson was the first person that was either 
appointed or elected to the office under authorized 
proceedings, he too, has been termed the first County 
Superintendent of Schools in Polk County. He served 
until the close of the year 1879. 

The following are the first educational reports sent 
to the State Superintendent of Public Instruction 
from Polk County. They are reproduced here, as we 
may gather from them the first intimate knowledge 
of the beginnings of the Polk County schools. 

COUNTY SCHOOLS IN 1877. 

"Of the fourteen organized school districts in this 
county, seven have had school during the past year. 

"Di.strict No. 1, Crookston, had four months of sum- 
mer school. This district also voted bonds in the 
amount of $2,000 for the erection of a schoolhouse. 
One new schoolhouse has been built and one is in 
course of construction. The Norwegian Evangelical 
Lutheran Synod has a schoolhouse in District 4 and 
the North Dakota Conference one in District No. 6. 
Portions of this county are settled by Scandinavians, 
many of them coming direct from the old countrj', 
wholly unacquainted with the English language. 
These I have tried to assist in organizing districts and 
in conducting school meetings. 

"A great obstacle to the progress of English educa- 
tion among the Scandinavians is the indifferent, and 
in many cases hostile, attitude toward our schools of 
many of the better educated among them, particularly 
among the clergy. These enemies of secular educa- 
tion have for some time been crowding the Scandi- 
navian press with the most virulent and heedless at- 
tacks on the public schools of this country. But these 
enemies of the public schools are perhaps not very 
numerous and they have many able opponents among 
the more enlightened and liberal-minded Scandi- 



navians, which probably accounts for the fact that the 
violent discussions of the former do not seem to have 



ap- 



very serious effects upon the mass of the people. 

This county is increasing in population very r . 
idly, and we hope next year to be able to report simi- 
lar progress in educational matters. — C. Steenerson, 
County Superintendent." 



county schools in 1878. 

"There are in this county at present seventeen or- 
ganized districts, eleven of which had school during 
the past year. 

' ' Competent teachers have hitherto been very scarce, 
but the rapid influx of intelligent immigration has 
partially supi)lied the deficiency. 

"There are only five schoolhouses in this county. 
One of the reasons for this neglect of erecting suitable 
school buildings, is the size of the districts. Many of 
them comprise a whole township, and in some cases 
districts are twelve miles in length, these having been 
organized by the first settlers who took the timbered 
claims along the streams. Some of the inhabitants of 
such districts are in favor of dividing the district ; 
others think it wiser to build two or three school- 
houses in one district and others think that one good 
school is all they can afford, but they cannot agree 
on the location. Many of the residents of the county 
have settled on railroad lands which are not yet in 
the market, and the settlers feel unsafe to incur heavy 
expenses until they can obtain title to their lands. 

"The Scandinavians, who constitute the majority 
of the population of the county, have also parochial 
schools, and I think nearly all their children attend 
these from four to eight weeks during the year. These 
schools are, however, not taught in the English lan- 
guage and but little instruction is given in secular 
branches. Crookston has nearly completed its new 
school building, pleasantly situated, and will cost 
when completed nearly $4,000. — C. Steenerson, 
County Superintendent; P. 0. Address, Frog Point, 
Dakota Territory. 

The year 1876 saw the formation of not only the 
first district in the county, but also five other districts, 
as follows : Districts No. 2 and No. 3, embracing East 
Grand Forks and some of the surrounding country; 
District No. 4, in Bygland Township ; District No. 5, 
in Hubbard Township, and District No. 6, in Vine- 
land Township. 

Just as Miss Harriet E. Bishop, a teacher from the 
far-off East, came, under a commission from the Board 
of Popular Education, to teach the first school in Min- 
nesota, in 1847, so came a young lady from Wiscon- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



99 



sin to teach the first school in this county. The first 
school at St. Paul was conducted in an unused black- 
smith shop, fitted with the standard school equip- 
ment of that day, consisting mainly of bench seats, 
desks supported by pegs driven into the walls, and a 
home-made teacher's desk. The first school in Polk 
County was held in a shanty, built from coarse lum- 
ber and tar paper, near the edge of the timber at 
Crookston. The first teacher of this school soon gave 
up teaching and became Mrs. Luella May Thompson, 
as a result of her marriage to Mr. Hugh Thompson, 
one of the leading mei'chants in the county. She was 
succeeded in succession by Mrs. Kelsey D. Chase. 
EUery C. Davis, E. M. Walsh, and Robert Houston 
constituted the first school board at Crookston and 
first in Polk County. 

Schools soon sprang up in other parts of the county, 
and the first district created in the extreme eastern 
part of the present Polk County was District No. 8, 
northeast of Lengby, in the Township of Columbia. 
Miss Kraukie Beams (later Mrs. Bernt Anderson), 
Atty. A. Marin, and Mr. John P. Kirseh were among 
the earliest teachers in this district. In describing 
some of his early experiences as a teacher in the 
county, Mr. Kirseh writes as follows : 

I believe I was teaching in Dist. No. 18 in 1887. This school 
was on what was then known as the ' ' tote road ' ' between 
Fosston and the Bagley Dam Lumber Company. I did not find 
it necessary to board around, as was the custom for teachers 
in those days, for the reason that I was taken in by Mr. E. H. 
Noel, who kept a stopping-place for teamsters and lumber- 
jacks. For a school house we used a log shack on a bachelor 's 
claim. One side of the room was so low that one found it 
necessary to stoop down while passing along that wall. We 
had every conceivable kind of a chair, bench and church pew 
for desks and seats. The country was quite wild and my first 
real experience with the woods was getting lost in them, be- 
tween the homes of Director Lillo and Clerk Aspelie. Once, 
when I lost my watch, we unintentionally dismissed school at 
noon, and another time, the children were kept till nearly dark. 
We then took to marking the sun light on the wall until some 
one went to town to ' ' get the time ' ' for the school. The 
children gave their names as ".Anderson," "Larson," "John- 
son," etc., and we had them take family names as " Scabebo, " 
"Aspelie," etc. The boys came to school on skis, usually 
carrying a rifle, and they often reported a deer hung up for the 
homeward trip. Most of the families were very poor. We 
kept a hair clipper in the school and the teacher especially 
received practical training in hair-trimming, which was con- 
sidered one of the school's distinctive services to the com- 
munity. The children's clothing and footwear were as varied 
as the school furniture. One family had footwear made from 
a green and untanned brindle cow hide, hair out, which, when 
they entered the school, often was frozen and ' ' clumped ' ' like 



wooden shoes. As was common ia those days, the bachelors 
were in the majority and several school meetings were held 
before a school building was voted, and this not until we had 
the bachelors befuddled iu parliamentary practice. It did not 
take long however before all were satisfied with the prospects 
for a better school home. 



THE COUNTY SUPERINTENDENTS. 

Polk County has had ten county superintendents of 
schools which follow in chronological order : Richard 
J. Reis, appointed in 1872, before the county was duly 
organized; Christopher Steenerson, 1877-79; V. D. 
Carruth, 1880-87; E. F. Elliot, 1887-89; Thomas 
Casey, 1889-1891; E. J. Grefthen, 1891-93; Andrew 
Lommen, 189-3-95 ; 0. McCrillis, 1895-97 ; I. I. Kassa, 
1897-1901 ; Thomas Casey, 1901-9, and N. A. Thorson, 
1909, present term expiring 1919. One of the special 
duties of the early superintendents was the examina- 
tion of teachers and issuing certificates to teach. The 
result was that a very indefinite standard existed for 
the grading of teachers. Later the examining of 
teachers was taken over by the State. 

The following, based upon excerpts from some of 
the special reports made by the county superintend- 
ents of schools to the State Superintendent of Public 
Instruction, indicates certain developments: 

1882 — Superintendent Carruth. When Norman 
County was set off, nineteen school districts were also 
taken from the county. The following remarkable 
growth is noteworthy: 



1879. 
1882. 



Organized School 

Districts. 

24 

82 



Valuation. 

$ 7,000 

37,000 



Pupils 
Enrolled. 
5.58 
1,701 



Twenty new schoolhouses, at a cost of $18,000, were 
built in the year 1884. The greatest needs were school 
buildings and teaching facilities. 

1888 — Superintendent Elliot. Low wages and short 
school terms combine to keep out many good teachers. 
The Crookston School was commended for good teach- 
ing work. The professional study by teachers has 
grown and some efforts have been made to grade and 
systematize the school work. ' ' The law on temperance- 
hygiene has produced some good results, but the use 
of intoxicants and cigarettes still exists, ' ' adds Super- 



100 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



intendeiit Elliot. The county sj-stera of examining 
teachers is not satisfactory. 

1894 — Superintendent Lommen. Both a training 
school and an institute for teachers have been held in 
the county. The uniform text-book plan is in vogue, 
and the number of school libraries is increasing. A 
tine new school building has been erected at East 
Grand Forks. 

1898 — Superintendent Kassa. Thirteen new school 
districts and fourteen new schoolhouses are the prod- 
uct of one year. Little attention is given to ventila- 
tion in school building construction. There is a 
greater demand for efficient teachers. 

1902 — Superintendent Casey. The supply of teach- 
ers is insufficient. Agitation for school consolidation 
appears to be growing. "General prosperity" is said 
to exist. 

1908 — Superintendent Casey. The number of 
school districts has now reached 215. Nearly every 
school has free text-books. One hundred and nine dis- 
tricts have libraries. No schools have been closed in 
connection with transporting children, but some par- 
ents haul their children to neighboring towns to at- 
tend school. It is claimed that school consolidation 
is better on both economic and pedagogical grounds, 
and the objections to this form of school merger are 
overbalanced by the advantages. The yearly meetings 
of school officers have had a salutary effect upon the 
schools. Many schools have installed special systems 
of heating and ventilation. The depression always 
noted in the unventilated school disappears where 
these devices are used. 

COUNTY SCHOOLS IN 1910. 

The varying conditions, ranging from the very best 
to the very poorest schools in the county, present an 
almost true picture of the evolution of the rural school. 
An occasional brick-supported stove still remains, but 
up-to-date heating and ventilating systems are going 
in at a rapid rate. Fifteen schools added libraries. 
Antiquated text-books are being replaced by new ones. 
The progressive teacher is in growing demand. In- 



quiries relative to the establishing of consolidated 
schools are increasing in number. Four special par- 
ents' and officers' meetings for the consideration of 
consolidation were conducted. In view of the fact 
that the compulsory law defines the duties of parents 
and children with respect to school attendance, it 
would be only right that the State should guarantee a 
term of stated length, a course well-defined and suit- 
able, a school building commodious and sanitary, a 
complete and usefnl e(|uii)ment, and teachers that are 
professionally and academically trained. A special 
state aid for transportation is urged. Several school 
stables have been erected. 

Two teacher-training departments, one at Crooks- 
ton and the other at ]\IcIntosli, working in the interest 
of the rural schools, are turning out teachers .some- 
what professionally trained. These activities prove a 
boon to the country school. Educational literature 
receives more attention. The use of a course of study 
is becoming more general. The number of State-aided 
schools has increased one hundred per cent, and these 
schools are the most prosperous in the countj'. School 
officers' meetings, with practical programs, continue 
to attract large numbers. Many teachers are volun- 
tarily preparing themselves to teach agi'iculture. In- 
du.strial contests have been started and promise to 
foster activities of special interest to the home and 
the school. Many schools oi3fer systematic work in ag- 
riculture and sewing. Such subjects tend to ward off 
a dislike for agricultural pui*suits. Two hundred and 
one schools have free libraries. In 1910 there were 778 
trees planted on school grounds. The Crookston 
School of Agriculture and the special departments in 
the high schools offer excellent opportunities for our 
people along the lines of industrial education. 

SOURCES OP SCHOOL SUPPORT. 

The common schools in Polk County, as elsewhere 
in the State, have derived their support from (a) ap- 
portionment, (b) special State aid voted by the Legis- 
lature out of the general tax fund of the State, (c) 
certain small fines, and (d) the local district tax. 



ifj 




CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL, CEOOKSTON 




NEW AUMOEY, CEOOKSTON 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 101 

APPORTIONMENT. each county is smaU, and on each district only a trifle, 

This support has been paid to districts where school ^ cents, 

has been in session five months during the year, on the ^^^^'^ ^"^ *» ^^'"^ ^''^"^''^^ ™ ^""^^ ^o""*-^ ^^^ g'"''^^ ^"^ 

basis of the number of pupils who have attended forty considerable proportions of late. The five high schools, 

days or more in any year. Under the new law of 1915, '''""^l^ '" l^^^ received altogether $6,895, received $18,- 

apportionment will be paid to districts where school is ^^^ ^" ^^^^' distributed as follows : 

in session at least six months during the year, in pro- ^""^ff I '^dusu-ial Associated J^'^f^^f^ 

portion to the number of pupils that attended school C'lookston $1,700 $i,ooo 

Kast Grand Forks. 1,700 $2,000 $480 1,000 

at least foi'ty days during the preceding year. In Fertile i,700 

. ■ ■ . . , u -1 ^ e I'osston 1,700 1,440 

recent years apportionment has been paid out of a Mcintosh i,700 2,000 312 998 

fund consisting of the interest on the permanent school 

,,,„,, .„ , ^^ , , , Ihe graded schools at Fisher, Erskine, Carman, and 

fund and the State one-mill tax. Under the new law, _, 

, , „ . . , Eldred received each $600 State aid in 1915. 

the only source oi apportionment will be the perma- ^ . 

, „ , ■,.,,,, During the period stated above for high schools, the 
iicnt school fund, and will be known as the endow- 

. , _,, ., State aid to one and two-teacher schools in the county 

ment iund. The state one-mill tax for schools will be . „ , 

, , „ , . „ . . increased from $3,110, given to 29 schools, to $13,380, 

known as the current school fund. This fund is in- . , „ ... 

, , . ,. . . , . „„ "ith 127 schools participating, 
tended to assist districts in which a fifteen-mill levy 

. ^„„ „ , , , . . The consolidated schools in the county received 
will not produce $oOO for such school, in session seven 

, ^ .„ , , , , , „ . . State aid as follows in 1915 in addition to the regu- 

months. It will also be used to make up deficits in , . , „, , , ^ „ „ . ^ 

^, , ., , f , ;■ f -1 \ -1 • laraitl: Eldred, $1,200; Trail, $600. 

State aid and tor tuition for non-resident pupils in ^ „ , 

. , , „ , . , , , , ,. Each of the schools received building aid equal to 
industrial departments of high, graded, and consoli- 

one-fourth of the cost of the building, not to exceed 
dated schools. 

^ . „ ,. Q cKo -1 11 J • 11 ii u 1 £ $1,500. The new law allows a building aid up to 
Out of the 8,653 pupils enrolled in all the schools of , „ ^„ 
„„ ^ . ,„, , „ „„^ , „ $2,000 on the same basis. 
Polk County in 1914, 7,720 were counted for appor- 
tionment at the rate of $o.80 per pupil. present polk county schools — the high schools. 

The high school is a part of our common school sys- 

STATE AID. . . 

tern; it IS under no separate control or tax levy, and 

A child residing in the poorest section of Minnesota is maintained by public tax and governed by a Board 

is as valuable to the State as the child whose of Education, through its administrative officer, the 

home is on "Millionaire Street" in our large cities. City Superintendent. 

The State tries to equalize educational opportunities The first high school in Polk County was organized 

for all the children by a system of State aid, which under Superintendent S. A. Farnsworth, who was 

it takes out of the general taxes of the State and pays succeeded by Supt. John Moore. The latter served for 

to school districts. This question has often been fifteen years. Others who headed the Crookston 

asked : "Of what good is State aid ? We take it out schools previous to the present incumbent were Super- 

of one pocket and put it in another." But this is not intendents Hitchcock, Sellek, Mclntire, and Hess, 

so. Over half of all the State aid money is paid by There are now five high schools in Polk County lo- 

the three large cities, Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Du- cated in the larger towns and superintended as fol- 

luth, and the counties in which they are situated. The lows : Crookston, Superintendent G. Sanberg ; East 

other portion, less than half of the State aid, is there- Grand Forks, Superintendent F. E. Lurton ; Fertile, 

fore paid by over eighty counties. The amount on Superintendent E. M. Hauge; Fosston, Superintend- 



102 



COMPENDIUM OF niSTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



ent, L. G. Mustain ; Mcintosh, Superintendent E. E. 
Hanson. Tlie combined value of their sehoolhouses 
and sites is over a half million dollars. All of them 
maintain departments of domestic science and manual 
training. Crookston and East Grand Forks have spe- 
cial departments in school music (under separate su- 
pervisors), art, commercial subjects, and normal train- 
ing, in addition to those named. Mcintosh, also, main- 
tains a normal training department. East Grand 
Forks, Fosston, and Mcintosh also have strong depart- 
ments in agriculture. The activities in this subject 
extend also to associated rural schools at Mcintosh and 
East Grand Forks, affiliated for instruction in indus- 
trial subjects. 

In connection with the normal training departments 
at Mcintosh and Crookston, a special rural practice 
school at each place is arranged for, where the prospec- 
tive teachers, through actual school room practice, 
may gain valuable experience before they are licensed 
to teach. These are real rural schools, in charge of the 
regular teachers, and are located about five miles from 
the central school. Students in training for teaching 
are required to spend a stated time in the practice 
school. 

A definite plan for vocational guidance has been in- 
augurated at Crookston recently. 

Departmental work for the upper grades below the 
high school is established in the larger places. Under 
this arrangement pupils are taught by several teachers 
in any one term. Each instruction teaches a lesser 
number of subjects, but more grades. The Junior 
High School involves this plan. 

The generous State aid to high schools is a trust 
fund given them to maintain certain departments and 
courses which shall be open to any person of school 
age in the state. Tuition in the high school is free. 

GRADED SCHOOLS. 

The smaller villages of the county have a problem 
of their own. Here we find pupils ready for nearly 
all grades, from the primary up through the high 
school. The number of teachers and the housing facil- 



ities are naturally somewhat limited. The defijiite 
control by the State Board, as to certain definite stand- 
ards — such as the quality of the teachers and their 
certification, the material equipment of the school, the 
course of study, adequate provision for light and heat- 
ing, books, etc., has been the result of the State's great 
concern for the schools in such places. 

Our graded schools — which, together with sites, are 
valued at nearly $45,000 — are located at Carman, 
Fisher, Erskine, and Eldred. Classes covering sub- 
jects belonging to the first two years of high school 
usually are offered in most of these places. At 
Erskine, five teachers are employed, while the other 
schools each have four. The Eldred School is of the 
consolidated type and oflrers courses in domestic 
science, manual training and agriculture. Here the 
people have realized and crystallized into a living 
reality the theory that pure academic knowledge alone 
does not spell achievement, as of old. Eldred has a 
school auditorium where the people of the community 
frequently come together. 

THE COUNTRY SCHOOL. 

A school system must be all-containing. To accom- 
plish this we have retained very largely the historic 
one-room school in the open country. Its numbers 
have continued to increase as new lauds have become 
occupied. In the 216 districts, outside of those main-, 
taining high and graded schools, there are now three 
schools having three teachers each ; nine two-teacher 
schools and 220 one-i-ooin one-teacher schools. The 
three-teacher schools in the county are at Beltrami, 
Mentor and Trail. The last named is of the con- 
solidation type and offers industrial courses. 

Two-room schools are found at Angus, Climax, Dug- 
dale, District No. 69, Euclid, Gully, Lengby, Niels- 
ville, and Winger. At the last named place, evening 
classes for adults are organized binder the supervision 
of the day school teachers. 

Schools with two or three teachers are classified as 
semi-graded schools. Some of them offer work in the 
ninth and even the tenth grade. Recitation periods 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



103 



are naturally crowded and these schools are very lim- 
ited in caring for school needs of the oldest pupils. 
Most of our semi-graded schools offer good nuclei for 
consolidation. 

About 60 per cent of the children enrolled in the 
public schools of the county attend schools having only 
one teacher. The average attendance in days by each 
pupil, which is nearly 95, is 57 days less than the 
average for pupils enrolled in the high and graded 
schools, despite the fact that the average has been ad- 
vancing steadily. Two hundred and seven of these 
districts have free text books; 66 districts have more 
than 10 pupils enrolled, but less than 20, while in 15 
districts less than ten are enrolled. Among the com- 
mon schools, eighteen hi^ had some form of trans- 
portation for pupils. 

We have over 125 State aided rural schools which 
are really standardized schools that have met certain 
requirements in equipment, school buildings, school 
term, library, heating and ventilation, school grounds, 
and outbuildings. These schools must employ teachers 
with special training or actual experience for at least 
seven months during the year. Such schools will here- 
after be known as Class B schools. Class A schools 
must maintain school for at least eight months. 

A plan of giving school credit for work at home is 
practiced in some districts. This ties the school up 
closer to the parents, who ai'e glad to have their chil- 
dren consider the chores and smaller jobs about the 
home as something worthy of recognition which ap- 
peals to the children's pride in performing. 

CONSOLIDATED SCHOOLS. 

At the present time Polk County has two consoli- 
dated schools, one at Eldred organized in 1912 and one 
at Trail organized in 1914. Both these schools have 
modem buildings, equipped with fan ventilating sys- 
tems, indoor flush toilets, and pressure water foun- 
tains. In addition to these modern appliances the 
school at Eldred has an electric lighting system. Both 
schools offer courses with regular and systematic in- 
struction in agriculture, manual training and domestic 



arts. The Eldred school is a graded school with four 
teachers. The Trail school is a semi-graded school 
with three teachers. 

The advent of these schools marks a new epoch iu 
rural education in Polk County. In addition to fur- 
nishing better teaching facilities and an opportunity 
for country children to pursue advanced studies and 
industrial subjects while living at home, these schools 
are reaching out to the community at large, and as a 
result we find literary societies, choral clubs, lecture 
courses and other notable community enterprises 
springing up. 

The consolidated school at Trail was the first one in 
the state to be organized by unanimous vote. The 
school at Eldred was organized under bitter opposi- 
tion, and not until more than one legal battle had been 
fought did some of the opposition subside. In both 
these schools, transportation under state control is sup- 
plied by the district. It has been safe and regular. 

People in general concede the advantages of the 
consolidated school over the old plan. That consolida- 
tion is coming soon in different parts of the county, 
can be gathered from the fact that at least four com- 
munities are now considering the formation of con- 
solidated districts, which will make full high school 
courses possible, with six or more teachers. Several 
other consolidation projects are under consideration. 

The success of consolidation where tried has laid 
its claim to the attention of our people, and each new 
year finds a larger number giving serious thought to 
this all-important school problem — the most important 
which the countryside has yet to solve in the secular 
education of the children. 

SUPERVISION. 

By means of a system of monthly reports to the 
county superintendent, which recently inaugurated in 
this county the work of the schools, is more closely 
supervised. This has resulted in a more thorough and 
systematic preparation of the work by many of the 
teachers. The condition of the attendance each month 
is watched. The keeping-up of records is constantly 



104 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



before the toaelier. The material needs of the school 
reported in duplicate to tlie clerk, can now receive the 
speedier action of the board. The scope of work cov- 
ered in each suljject and class and the monthly stand- 
ings of pupils go into the records of the county siiper- 
intendent. This system, while it requires additional 
time for checking up on the reports, and the making 
of the same once a month, has proved to be fruitful of 
many good results. Time used in systematizing school 
work is not in vain. 

VISITATION. 

The common schools are inspected by the county 
superintendent and his assistant. While the time 
spent at any one school is not great, yet the occa- 
sional "dropping in" by an official visitor has a 
salutary effect. Four hundred and twentj'-five school 
visits were made in the county last year. Close 
supervision like tliat in a city school system is not 
possible luider the present plan. More and closer 
supervision is the crying need of the country school 
today. 

teachers' clubs. 

In the fall of 1915 a plan of teachers' study clubs 
was launched in the county, with the result that 
twenty clul)s of small groups of teachers have met 
at various times. Some of the clubs, at their pres- 
ent rate of holding meetings, will register about 
ten meetings by the close of the school year. The 
number of members in these clubs varies, ranging 
from three or four to ten. Reading circle books 
with a plan for giving credit, and other topics of 
special interest to teachers, are discus.sed. These 
clubs aj.'e proving popular and helpful. 

WARM LUNCHES IN SCHOOLS. 

The practice of catering to the physical welfare 
of the children by .serving w-arm dishes to them dur- 
ing the noon hour is not confined to the high schools 
— alone, where the practice is quite general, but is to 
be found in many of the country schools that are 



fitted up with special equipment for this purpose. 
The teacher usually appoints from among the larger 
pupils those who are to look after the serving of the 
lunch each day. A general pantry supply is often 
kept at tile school to supplement the eatables 
bi-ought from the homes for cooking. Several plans 
for furnishing the materials are in vogue. The 
parents generally favor this innovation. The rural 
schools associated with Mcintosh and East Grand 
Forks, or most of them, have good lunch outfits. 

boys' and girls' CLUBS. 

A practical form of club work, closely affiliated 
with the school, includes such projects as corn-grow- 
ing, bread-making, and pig-raising. Through the 
special efforts of the high school agriculturists and 
the county agent, instructions from the State Agricul- 
tural School, the office of the county superintendent, 
and a number of enterprising private citizens the 
club work in Polk County has become well estab- 
lished. No less than ten boys' corn clubs existed in 
101.5. A number of bread clubs sent representatives 
to a county bread-making contest held at Crookston 
in July, and they competed for the right to represent 
Polk County at the State Fair. The pig clubs at East 
Grand Forks and Fosston figured prominently in the 
State pig-contest last year. 

CROOKSTON SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURE. 

This branch of tiie State University, located at 
Crookston, while naturally established to serve the 
State at large, is, by virtue of location, an educational 
asset of special benefit to us. Many of the graduates 
of this school are carrying on extensive and up-to-date 
farming in this county. Summer training courses 
for teachers, with special inducements for the pur- 
suit of industrial subjects, are maintained. 

In connection with the regular school year, a spe- 
cial course for rural teachers is offered. One of the 
aims of this course is to fit young persons for work 
in consolidated schools. 



COMPENDIUM OP HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 105 

FROM 1876 TO 1916. cational systems far in advance of what we have 

We have lived through forty years of school-build- attained. Education which is a business of universal 

ing in Polk County. The past has seen many school concern must continue to engage our people even 

laws and administrative regulations come and go. more in the future, to the end that the paramount 

The last word in education has not yet been spoken, issues shall be wisely solved and the purposes of 

and forty years more will find our schools and edu- schools better understood. 



CHAPTER XII. 
THE CROOKSTON SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURE. 
By C. G. Selvig. 
a red river valley institution — new building dedicated — death op superintendent wm. robertson the 

school's ADVANCEMENT AND GROWTH — MOVING YEAR — SCHOOL FACULTY — EQUIPPING A TECHNICAL SCHOOL 

THE school's GROWTH — ITS WORK OUTSIDE SCHOOLROOM DOORS. 



The Crookston School of Agriculture must be con- 
sidered separately from the Northwest Experiment 
Station, although they are located at one and the 
same place, and their work is carried on together. 
The Experiment Station had been organized and in 
operation for ten years before the School came into 
existence. 

The Crookston School of Agriculture is also a part 
of the Agricultural Department of the University of 
Minnesota. It was created by an act of the Legisla- 
ture in the session of 1905. An appropriation of $15,- 
000 was provided for the building known as the 
School Building (now named the Home Economies 
Building), which was completed in 1906. No funds 
for maintenance were voted. In order to have school 
open that fall it was necessary to secure funds for 
salaries and expenses. A sum of $2,500 was privately 
subscribed by patriotic citizens of Crookston and 
vicinity. This fund, and assistance from the North- 
west Experiment Station funds, made it possible to 
begin in 1906. Thirty-one students, all the school 
could accommodate in its cramped quarters, were en- 
rolled. Their names were as follows : Emma Agusta 
Anderson, Hallock; Agnes Bjoin, Crookston; Henry 
L. Blackmore, Baggs, Wyoming; Carl Carlson, Ken- 
nedy ; William Dewar, Crookston ; Walter Dewar, 
Crookston; John Distad, Perley; Hans Forseth, Cli- 
max ; Christopher, Lewis, and Molly Fossbakken, Foss- 



ton ; Clara Hagan, Hendrum ; Christian Hanson, Bel- 
trami ; Floy Ingersoll. Crookston ; Thor Lonne, Crooks- 
ton ; Christian Lindberg, Beltrami ; Leroy Lytle, 
Crookston; Gustaf Nelson, Northland; Olaf F. Nel- 
son, St. Hilaire ; Simon Nelson, Climax ; Carl Nord- 
lum, Beltrami ; Lena Opdahl, Beltrami ; Elmer 01s- 
lund, Beltrami ; Albert Petterson, Crookston ; Wil- 
liam H. Rager, Crookston; Lewis Regeimbal, Crooks- 
ton ; Carl Seeger, Red Lake Falls ; Joseph Skala, 
Red Lake Falls ; Julie Swisse, Faribault ; Nels A. 
Thompson, Birkholz, and Ida Thompson, Beltrami, 
Minnesota. 

The school building was a combination dormitory, 
dining hall, office, and class room building. The 
boys had rooms on the third floor, while the farm 
house was improvised into a ladies' hall. On the 
second floor were located the class rooms, the adminis- 
trative office, and the library, while on the first floor 
were the kitchen and dining room. JIany interesting 
experiences happened during the iirst two years of 
the school. Both the faculty and the student body 
acquired an enthusiasm for the aims and work of 
the institution and a loyalty to it that counted greatly 
in its influence upon the community. By the time 
the 1907 Legislature had convened and sent commit- 
tees to inspect the school, it was found that a full- 
fledged institution had sprung into being. Two new 
buildings were provided at that session, Stephens 



106 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



107 



Hall, a dormitory for boys, and the Industrial Build- 
ing (later named S. M. Owen Hall). A modest sum 
was provided for annual maintenance, and the sum 
of $2,500 was appropriated to reimburse the private 
contributors who made the first year of the school 
possdble. 

The school is what might be classed as a technical 
agricultural school, and is intended to round out the 
education of the farm boys and girls after they have 
left the rural schools, fitting them either to go back 
to the farm or to enter the University, should they 
desire to take up professional work in the line of 
agriculture. Students attending the institution are 
boarded at the School, and are thus in a continual 
agricultural atmosphere, expenses being only the 
actual cost of living. The course of study includes 
farm botany, mechanical drawing, music, farm mathe- 
matics, poultry, English, agriculture, blacksmithing, 
carpentry, military drill, cooking, physical training, 
sewing, study of breeds, laundering, agricultural 
physics, dairying, fruit growing, farm accounts, stock 
judging, breeding, household art, agricultural chem- 
istry, vegetable gardening, field crops, forestry, en- 
tomology, algebra, handling grain and machinery, 
veterinary science, civics, geometry, plant propaga- 
tion, dressing and curing meats, feeding soils and 
fertilizers, home economy, domestic chemistry, domes- 
tic hygiene and meats, rural economics and sociology, 
and teachers' training subjects. 

As a result of the loyal support of the people of 
the Red River Valley, the school, early in its life, 
was well cared for in the way of current expenses, 
and in buildings. -It was not long before, with its 
numerous attractive buildings and pleasant surround- 
ings, and the practical work which it was doing, that 
the institution became a source of pride to the people 
of the Red River Valley. 

A RED RIVER VALLEY INSTITUTION. 

Many questions were raised as to the advisability 
of creating a school in the Red River Valley, or any- 
where for that matter, when there was a great cen- 



tral school and experiment station at St. Anthony 
Park, between Minneapolis and St. Paul. It was not 
possible those days to prophesy just what work such 
an institution would find to do. Its justification lies 
in the fact that the agricultural problems of one part 
of the State differ from those of another part. The 
problems of the timbered country of the North are 
certainly not those of the prairies of the West. Like- 
wise, the problems of the Red River Valley are not 
those of that part of the Mississippi Valley adjacent 
to the Twin Cities. Naturally, too, the problems of 
the Red River Valley cannot be worked out under the 
different conditions which prevail in the part of the 
Mississippi Valley named. The physical factors of 
farming are not portable. 

Furthermore, the object of a technical agricultural 
school is to train young men so that they may go 
back to the land and cultivate it with success. Obvi- 
ously, the thing to do is to train them on the kind 
of farm to which they are to return, or as nearly that 
as possible, and not on some other kind, where dif- 
ferent conditions rule and different problems have to 
be worked out. 

The Experimental Station, then, was established in 
the first place to work out the agricultural problems 
of the Red River Valley, and the school came later 
as a means of training young men from the Red 
River Valley farms, on a Red River Valley farm, in 
order that they might go back to Red River Valley 
farms to build them on sounder principles. This and 
more fundamental problems of agriculture are not 
at all neglected at the Crookston School, but it is 
simply to say that the special problems of the region 
receive the special attention they demand. 

NEW BUILDINGS DEDICATED. 

The fall of 1908 was an auspicious one for the new 
institution. Two magnificent buildings were ready 
for occupancy, and the School had gained a reputa- 
tion for earnest efficient effort, and was rapidly forg- 
ing ahead. At the time of the dedication of the 
boys ' dormitory, it was named Stephens Hall, in honor 



108 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



of Senator A. D. Stephens, of Crookston, who repre- 
sented Polk County in tlie State Senate during these 
years, and to whose successful efforts to secure funds 
for the school building and equipinpnt, as well as ade- 
quate provision for its support, much credit is due. 
James J. Hill was present at the dedication exercises, 
and delivered a prophetic address. 

Stephens Hall is a beautiful three-story brick build- 
ing, a model of comfort and convenience. The two 
upper floors are used as a boys' dormitory, and the 
iirst floor for the dining club, with its dining room, 
kitchen, bakeshop, and other necessary quarters. The 
dining club quarters were installed temporarily, as a 
separate building is planned eventually to accommo- 
date that department. Stephens Hall will then provide 
comfortable rooms for 150 young men. The in- 
dustrial building provided the same year, now named 
S. M. Owen Hall, contains the blacksmith and carpen- 
try shops, stock judging room, dairy room, mechanical 
drawing room, and a large addition constructed in 
1911 provides commodious quarters for the farm en- 
gineering department. 

One hundred and one students attended during 
the third year of the school (1908-1909), more than 
double the second year's enrollment of 41. 

DEATH OF SUPERINTENDENT VV^M. ROBERTSON. 

The year 1910 was one of many changes. Early in 
January occurred the very sudden and deeply re- 
gretted death of the first superintendent of the 
School, William Robertson. His death cast a pall of 
gloom over the entire School that could not be re- 
moved. His services and enthusiasm had been 
mighty faetore in establishing the School and in out- 
lining policies and plans. The School's pioneer days 
were passed under the direction of Prof. Robertson 
and his estimable wife, who was also his co-worker 
in all the numerous activities necessary during these 
early days. 

THE school's advancement AND GROW^TH. 

The Legislative session of 1909 fairly outdid its pre- 
vioTis record in the matter of having a larger vision 



regarding the School's future work and usefulness, 
both in the matter of providing buildings and equii>- 
ment, and also in the very important matter of es- 
tablishing an annual maintenance fund suflicient to 
permit the School to increase the faculty and extend 
the work. These buildings were under construction 
when the new superintendent came to Crookston. For 
this position the Board of Regents selected Mr. G. G. 
Selvig, whose work began August 1, 1910. 

Two new buildings were completed in the fall of 
that year, viz. : Robertson Hall, named in honor of 
William Robertson, the first superintendent of Crooks- 
ton School of Agriculture, and a girls' dormitory, 
which provides accommodations for 75 young leidies, 
and is a model home for girls attending the school. 
It is a three-story brick building, with beautifully 
tinted interior walls and with good architectural lines 
exteriorly. Climbing vines which eventually will 
cover the outside walls greatly add to its homelike 
appearance. The other building, the David L. Kiehle 
Building, was named in honor of former State 
Superintendent of Public Instruction, Regent, and 
University Professor, Dr. David L. Kiehle. This, the 
fifth of the school buildings, and one of the largest, 
is also one of the most useful on the campus. It con- 
tains a well equipped gymnasium and a beautiful au- 
ditorium (which is pronounced by all as one of the 
most beautiful rooms in the State, seating about 500), 
administrative offices, and the library. 

MOVING YEAR. 

The Experiment Station buildings were located on 
a tract of slightly elevated land near the northwest 
corner of the farm. It was found that the school 
campus required more room. During 1911, therefore, 
numerous changes were made. A class room building 
and minor station buildings had been provided by the 
1911 session of the Legislature. In order to find a 
suitable location for this structure and others that the 
School would soon require, due to its rapidly increas- 
ing attendance, it became necessary to remove the 
horse barn, dairy barn, poultry house, and the farm 



COMPENDIUM OP HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



109 



house to new locations on a permanent campus plan. 
Four cottages for married members of the station 
and School faculty were also Iniilt that year. The 
class room building, which was completed in 1912, 
was named the Hill Building, in honor of James J. 
Hill, who was present at the dedicatory exercises. 
It is a fine three-story structure, beautifully finished 
in oak throughout, and admirably arranged to accom- 
modate the various departments. With the horticul- 
ture and botany departments on the first floor, 
agronomy on the second, and English, agricultural 
chemistry, and physics, and normal training depart- 
ments on the third floor, it made possible a degree of 
efficiency in actual school room work hitherto impos- 
sible at the Crookston School. 

SCHOOL FACULTY. 

The policy of building up the departments of the 
Agricultural School and Experiment Station by se- 
curing well trained and able specialists for each was 
given prominence by the new administration. Prof. 
C. E. Brown, in charge of poultry investigations and 
teaching, continued in his position. Prof. J. D. Bils- 
borrow became the Station 's first agronomist, followed 
by Prof. 0. I. Bergh, who in turn was succeeded by 
Prof. F. L. Kennard, the first two leaving to accept 
positions which lack of means and opportunity pre- 
cluded the Northwest's station from offering them. 
In 1911, Prof. T. M. McCall came from Iowa State 
College, at Ames, to take charge of the horticultural 
and botany departments, a position he still holds and 
in which he has rendered very efficient services to the 
State. Professors P. H. Sargent and Robert B. Bax- 
ter carried on the dairy and animal husbandry work 
until 1913, when these departments were merged, 
and put in charge of Prof. AVm. Dietrich, formerly of 
the Illinois Experiment Station, an able teacher and 
investigator. Prof. T. R. Sewall, the present head of 
the farm engineering department, came from the Cen- 
tral School at St. Anthony Park, in 1911. Prof. J. P. 
Bengston, now in charge of the boys' dormitories and 
who is also an instructor, resigned his position as su- 



perintendent of the Roseau City Schools, in 1913, to 
accept a position with this institution. 

Miss Bess M. Rowe, Miss Laura Franklin, Miss 
Mabel H. Olsen, Miss Faith S. Brown, and Miss Grace 
B. Sherwootl occupied responsible positions at the 
school, the latter having charge of the teachers' train- 
ing department. The progress that the School and 
Station has made is due to the strong, earnest efforts 
of the faculty members and station workers. In this 
bi'ief sketcli it is impossible to state more fully an 
account of their services. 

EQUIPPING A TECHNICAL SCHOOL. 

The Legislature in 1913 continued its interest in 
the Crookston School, providing two major additions 
to the buildings, besides placing the annual support 
fund on a more substantial basis. A central heating 
plant was constructed in 1913, and a second dormitory 
for young men, in 1914. A greenhouse and a grain 
storage eciuipment, as well as other minor buildings, 
completed the station group on i^resent basis of work. 
A spur track was constructed in 1911 which, with the 
completion of the new heating plant, produced decided 
economics in annual maintenance. 

THE school's GROWTH. 

We can look to the buildings and equipment, the 
school campus and grounds, class rooms, and other 
outward evidences which indicate increasing prepar- 
edness and efficienc}^, but no institution must be per- 
mitted to gauge its service by these things. The 
students of a school and its graduates must be sought 
out if a school's real history is to be written. The 
State Institution at Crookston is closing its tenth j'ear 
at this time. Six hundred and eighty-one students 
have enrolled during the regular school terms, with 
181 in i-ts junior course, 835 in its summer course for 
teachers, and manj' thousands at its farmers' short 
courses and farmers' week meetings, which are held in 
Crookston every February. Twenty Northwestern 
Minnesota counties have learned of the school and 
the work of its students, not only in the class rooms, 



110 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



lahoratorios. and shops, but of its work in creating 
power, in adapting itself to the social life one is to 
live, in meeting the fuller requirements of citizenship 
and of co-operative community life wliich must char- 
acterize the bountiful and full country life which all 
recognize is desired. The school is a dormitory insti- 
tution whereunder men and women of poise, iutegritj-, 
lofty aims, and high visions, the young men and 
women, acquire ideals of conduct that shall last as 
long as there is life. Sports, indoor and outdoor, 
social activities; music, in band, orchestra, glee club 
and chorus, piano and voice, — all contribute to the 
upbuilding of the individual and to increasing the 
joys and happiness of the group. Public speaking 
and debates are recognized as essentials in the courses 
and are required of all. At an agricultural school, 
where farmers are to be trained, the ability to think 
clearly, to write or speak easily, is an important work 
to do. Nothing can be said about the extensive courses 
in agriculture and home training, nor aboiit the more 
recently organized courses in teacher training. Bul- 
letins and circulars describe this w'ork in detail. 

ITS WORK OUTSIDE SCHOOLROOM DOORS. 

The history up to the present time of the North- 
west School of Agriculture and E.xperiment Station 
would not be complete without a statement regarding 
its work and influence outside of the class rooms and 
experimental plots. Reference has been made to the 
organization, in 1903, of the Red River Valley Dairy- 
men's Association, of which Superintendent T. A. 
Hoverstad was the guiding spirit. Prof. Robertson 
continued the interest of the station in this organiza- 
tion, and was followed by Superintendent C. G. Selvig, 
who is the present president. This organization has 



accomplished much in the interest of dairy farming 
and manufacturing. The Red River Valley Horti- 
cultural Society, under the leadership of Station men, 
is an active organization, its members being interested 
in tree and fruit growing. In these various organiza- 
tions, the Station and School workers are simply the 
means which various conuuittees may use in accom- 
plishing certain things. The Farmers' Short Course 
and Agricultural Exhibit, begun at the Agricultural 
School in 1911, was branched out and increased so 
much in magnitude that in 1913 it was necessary to 
hold the meetings at Crookston. The Farm Crops 
Show and Meetings have come to be annual clearing 
house for ideas and plans to make the Red River Val- 
ley not only more productive, but to make home and 
school, city and country, better and more fit to live in. 

The Northern Minnesota Poultry Association, the 
Red River Valley Live Stock Breeders' Association, 
and the Red River Valley Seed Growers' Association 
are all broadly educational. Thej' serve to increase 
the spirit of co-operation, to break down community 
distrusts and to realize more fully the possibilities 
and potentialities of that full and abundant life which 
is vouchsafed every one, in city or country. 

This brief sketch of the Northwest School of Agri- 
culture and Expei'iment Station can well close in 
testifying to the influence and service of farmers' 
clubs and of community centers in consolidated 
schools of this great section of the State. The exten- 
sion service of the institution sprang into existence 
in helping to organize clubs and to promote the or- 
ganization of such schools. This service is justifying 
itself and those groups are increasingly flnding their 
full value as agencies for action and service. 




.SEMOB HALL 



IPy ^^rm 




HILL BUILDING 





i 

i 



CHAPTER XIII. 



THE NORTHWEST SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURE AND EXPERIMENT STATION. 

By Superintendent C. G. Selvig. 

origin and early history — securing the land for a site — beginnings in 1895 — the soil at the station 

plans outlined the work op early years drainage installed drainage work begun a new ad- 
ministration — experiments in crop production — field crop work the horticultural division 

live stock departments, etc. 



THE NORTHWEST EXPERIMENT STATION. 

Sometime before 1894 Prof. Willet M. Hays, of 
Minnesota Experiment Station, St. Anthony Park, 
had made a study regarding the best location for two 
other experiment farms in Minnesota besides the one 
at St. Anthony Park. There were two great areas 
of the State considered in this survey, viz: the Red 
River Valley and the adjacent parts of the northwest 
part of the State, and the lighter soils of the great 
north central timbered section. By consulting the 
State geological surveys, and doing some traveling, he 
had formulated a general plan as to where these 
farms should be located. 

There had been some agitation of this question 
among the citizens of the Red River Valley, resulting 
in a delegation being sent to urge the establishment of 
an experiment farm before the Legislative committee 
to whom a bill had been referred. Favorable action 
resulted, for at the Legislative session of 1895, $30,000 
was appropriated with which to procure equipment, 
and for the two following years to conduct two sub- 
experiment farms. They were placed under the direc- 
tion of the Board of Regents of the University of 
Minnesota. 

Several tracts of land were considered for the loca- 
tion of the Northwest Experiment Farm by the Agri- 
cultural Committee of the Board of Regents, consist- 



ing of Wm. W. Liggett, Chairman; J. S. Pillsbury, 
S. M. Owen, and W. W. Pendergast, and by Prof. 
W. M. Hays who had made a study of the northern 
half of the State. It was finally located by the Board 
of Regents at Crookston, Polk County, on land do- 
nated by the Great Northern Railway, through the 
generosity and liberal mindedness of President J. J. 
Hill and Samuel Hill. It was considered that prob- 
lems to be solved upon this area were the problems 
of many communities in the Red River Valley, espe- 
cially the problem of drainage. This reason weighed 
largely in the minds of the Committee, for the land 
selected was extremely low, there being higher land 
on the north, east, south, and southwest. A shallow 
coulee drained a part of the waters to the northwest. 
The ditch established later followed this natural out- 
let. It was regarded as advantageous to have such 
a tract of land for experimental purposes and for 
investigational use. 

The tract donated to be used for the Northwest Ex- 
periment Farm contains 476.61 acres, according to a 
United States Government survey which was made 
in 1872. It comprises the north half and southeast 
quarter of Section 19, Crookston Township. Its south 
line is the northern limit of the city of Crookston. 
The farm buildings were located in the northwest 
corner of the section, approximately two miles from 
the center of the city. 



Ill 



112 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



SECURING THE LAND. 

This tract of land remained in the possession of 
the General Government until March, 187S, when 
the ownership of this tract was transferred to the 
State of Minnesota, which in turn transferred it on 
the same date, to the St. Paul & Pacific Railway Com- 
pany, now a part of the Great Northern Railway 
system. All of it had remained unimproved in the 
possession of the railway, excepting about fifty acres 
which had been broken, cropped, and filled with mus- 
tard and other weeds liy trespassers, until 1895, when 
the University of Minnesota was given permission to 
use it for an experimental farm. In 1903 an agree- 
ment was made with the railway by which tlie Uni- 
versity could become the purchaser of the land at 
any time at .$25 per acre, but could have the posses- 
sion of it free of charge so long as it was used for 
educational or experimental purposes. 

BEGINNINGS IN 1895. 

Work at the experiment farm began in 1895, when 
the city of Crookston and the County of Polk each 
gave $1,000, which was utilized for drainage and mak- 
ing of roads around and through the Northwest Farm. 
Prof. "W. M. Hays was placed in general charge of 
the equipment and plans for experimental work, and 
Mr. T. A. Hoverstad was chosen assistant agricul- 
turist, and was given the local management of this 
Northwest Farm, at Crookston, a.s Superintendent. 

SOIL AT NORTHWEST STATION. 

The surface soil at the Northwest Experiment Farm 
is a blackish color, usually about twelve inches in 
depth, although at places it becomes very thin, while 
at others the dark material extends in slender s-treaks 
for 18 to 30 inches down into the lighter subsoil. Two 
distinct types of soil were mapped on the farm. The 
larger portion is of Fargo clay loam soil, which con- 
tains a very large per cent of organic matter. This 
renders the soil loamy and easily cultivated, when 
in a dry condition ; but when wet, it is sticky and 
tenacious, clods badly, and does not scour well, mak- 



ing plowing almost impossible. The other type of soil, 
called the Fargo fine sandy loam, is easily cultivated, 
and can be plowed much earlier in the spring and 
summer after heavy rains, than the heavy type of soil. 

PLANS OUTLINED. 

The plans outlined for the Northwest Fann in- 
cluded the production for dissemination of the best 
grains produced by the station ; the testing of varie- 
ties of grains, roots, trees, and fruits; field manage- 
ment ; tillage and weeds ; pastures and meadows ; for- 
age and pastures from annual crops; prairie fores- 
try; road making; feeding work horses and other 
.stock; breeding animals; and dairying. All of these 
were to be studied with reference to conditions in 
this part of the State. These plans involved extended 
investigations to answer questions which could be 
properly studied only in this peculiar part of the 
state. 

WORK OF EARLY YEARS. 

The work froiu 1896 up to tlie installation of the 
drainage ditch, in 1909, was difficult and the results 
uncertain, on account of excessive rainfall and lack 
of drainage during the greater time of this period. 
The reports of the Northwest Experiment Farm 
present these difficulties very vividly. In the spring 
of 1896 the rainfall was so constant and excessive that 
the season for planting grain crops had practically 
passed before the seed could be planted. In 1897, 
floods just before harvest nearly ruined the wheat and 
oats. The need of an adequate drainage system was 
early recognized ; but the problem was one requiring 
a considerable expenditure of money and the co-op- 
eration of several agencies, which it took some time to 
secure. A yield of 23 bushels of wheat to the acre 
is reported for 1897, with an average of 20.9 for three- 
year period. Oats averaged 47 bushels to the acre 
in a three year test, and barley varieties averaged 
from 26.6 bushels to 31.7 busliels to an acre. A con- 
siderable number of trees were planted which afford 
at the present time both windbreak and shade. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



113 



July 25, 1897, lightning caused a fire whicli de- 
stroyed the harn with several horses and a larger por- 
tion of the collection of farm tools and conveyances. 
The total loss v*^as $6,000. A new barn was con- 
structed for the $3,000 received from insurance on 
the one destroyed. 

The season of 1899 was somewhat unfavorable for 
field experiments at the Northwest Farm, as seeding 
was delayed until the latter part of May and the first 
part of June. A heavy hail storm came just before 
harvest. Successful work was done with clover and 
with cultivated forage crops. Com tests were begun. 
The forestry planting was considerably increased. In 
1900, excessive rainfalls and inadequate drainage 
again feature the reports, interfering with the small 
grains. Tests in growing fodder corn proved suc- 
cessful; seedling plums fruited; six thousand trees 
were planted in the nursery ; and a poultry plant was 
successfully started. A cattle barn was authorized 
by the Legislature in 1901. During these years, con- 
siderable work was done in preparing for a complete 
system of drainage, which it was hoped could be put 
into operation in 1905. 

DRAINAGE INSTALLATION. 

William Robertson was appointed superintendent 
of the Northwest Farm in 1904, entering upon his 
work in 1905. The three years preceding 1905, he 
reported as having been unusually wet in the Red 
River Valley. Most of his energy was devoted to the 
matter of securing suitable drainage for the farm. 

In 1903, an appropriation of $5,000 was made by 
the State Legislature for drainage, and in the follow- 
ing summer the highway and railway ditches which 
had been opened up were suppleinented by 1,285 rods 
of capstan plow ditch. This ditch extended east and 
west across the farm, thence northwest through a shal- 
low coulee to Lowell Ditch No. 1. These ditches re- 
moved some of the surface water, but were not of suffi- 
cient capacity to remove the water quickly at the 
spring thaws, or after heavy rains. The Legislature 
of 1905 made an additional appropriation of $4,000 



to be used in drainage and experimenting with tile 
drainage. 

DRAINAGE WORK BEGUN. 

A district survey was made by the Department of 
Agriculture in the fall of 1895, and a petition was 
circulated for a county ditch passing the north side 
of the farm which would also furnish drainage to con- 
siderable territory north and east of the farm. In 
April, 1906, this petition was granted, and Polk 
County Ditch No. 60 was established. The office of 
Experiment Stations at Washington, D. C, was in- 
vited to co-operate, and John T. Stewart was ap- 
pointed to supervise the work for the department. 
Plans were drawn for laying about 50,000 feet of tile 
and digging of one and one-half miles of open ditch. 
A portion of the farm was to be supplied with sur- 
face drainage for comparison of results. The tiles 
were laid at different distances apart, and at different 
depths, and wells were established at different dis- 
tances from the tiles to determine the effect of tiles 
upon the water level. Tests were to be made of the 
alkali content of both the water and the soil at times 
before and after the drainage was installed, in order 
to determine the effect of drainage upon this feature. 
Expense data on the installation was kept. 

The seasons of 1906, 1907, and 1908 were given 
up to the work on ditching and laying tile. Bulletin 
No. 110 was written describing this work. The year 
1908 was one of the driest years on record. Experi- 
ments with clover and alfalfa showed favorable re- 
sults. Five additional varieties of alfalfa were seeded 
that year, selected as to hardiness and yield. 

NEW ADMINISTRATION. 

Superintendent William Robertson died in Jan- 
uary, 1910. He was succeeded by Mr. Selvig. A 
fuller account of Mr. Robertson's work and services 
is to be found in the school section of this history. In 
1911, the work at the Northwest Station became 
largely experimental and investigational work was 
conducted under station specialists in direct charge 



114 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



of departmental projects. The superintendent was 
in direct charge of both the Agricultural school and ex- 
periment station, and assumed specific charge of the 
drainage work and of co-operative work with school 
students and farmers in the Red River Valley. This 
plan brought extensive additions to the station work, 
and has already succeeded in making the station a 
clearing house for the solution of vexed questions that 
arise in connection with farming in Northwestern Min- 
nesota, which it was originally intended the experiment 
station should become. With the completion of the 
drainage system, this new work was made possible 
although many handicaps and drawbacks still had 
to be met. The problems of lack of surface drainage, 
of foul weeds, or general adaptation to the new work 
were met, however, and the station has taken forward 
steps which are increasing every year. 

EXPERIMENT IN CROP PRODUCTION. 

At the present time, the experimental work em- 
braces, besides the drainage investigations which 
have been outlined, the following lines of work: In 
the agronomy section, there is work in cultural meth- 
ods with farm crops, including rate of seeding wheat, 
oats, and barley, using six rates for each; date of 
seeding winter wheat, alfalfa, winter rye, and barley, 
using four dates for each ; and plowing and sub-soiling, 
packing subsoil, a comparison of tractor and horse 
plowing and disking, dates of plowing and disking 
stubble before plowing. 

The work in varietal tests of farm crops includes 
variety tests of all farm crops, with the object of 
getting the varieties best adapted to northwestern 
Minnesota conditions, and eo-opera.tive tests, with 
various divisions of the College of Agriculture, Uni- 
versity of Minnesota, St. Paul, and the United States 
Department of Agriculture in testing wheat, for mill- 
ing purposes; flax, for fiber; wheat hybrids, for rust 
resistance ; and corn varieties. 

FIELD CROP WORK. 

The results of the season of 1915 at the Northwest 
Experiment Station indicate what is being done there 



along crop production lines. The station has been 
drained since 1909, and each year's results are more 
and more indicative of the improved conditions re- 
garding plant growth. 

In 1915, the highest yield per acre of oats was 98.7 
bushels in a rate of seeding plot. The lowest in this 
series was 80 bushels. The next highest was 95.3 
bushels per acre in a fertilizer plot series, with the 
lowest yield in that series of 70.3 bushels to the acre. 

A 16.3 acre field averaged 77 bushels, and a 28.5 
acre field averaged 75.5 bushels, and a field of Early 
Roosevelt oats yielded 82.2 bushels per acre. 

The highest yield of barley per acre, was 65.2 
bushels in the fertilizer plot series. A field of 19.7 
acres averaged 43.4 bushels per acre, and a field of 
44.85 acres averaged 42.5 bushels per acre. 

The highest yield of wheat per acre was 40.8 bush- 
els per acre, and in the rotation series the highest 
yield was 32.46 bushels, and in the variety series the 
highest was 40.8 bushels per acre. These yields are 
the result of improved strains of seed, drainage, man- 
agement, and soil condition. 

Seeds and trees are distributed to co-operators, in 
order to determine the varieties of farm crops and 
trees best adapted to Northwestern Minnesota. In 
this work it will be necessary to distribute improved 
strains of seeds of cereals, forage, root, and vegetable 
crops, and hardy varieties of trees, grown at this Sta- 
tion, to test them on farms located where soil and 
moisture conditions are different. The sale of pure 
bred seeds and of nursery stock is included in this 
project. Tests on fifty farms were in progress in 1915. 
This number will be materially increased. 

The corn breeding work has for its object the secur- 
ing of corn with early maturity. 

Several crop rotation plans are being followed, and 
a study made of resulting crop yields, soil fertility, 
and weed conditions. 

Extensive fertilizer tests are being made in co-op- 
eration with Division of Soils, University Farm, St. 
Paul. These tests comprise an investigation of the 
effects of commercial fertilizers, with and without 




STOCK AT NORTHWEST EXPERIMENT .STATION 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



115 



manure, for ordinary farm crops grown iu rotation. 
This work is to be extended for tests of typical soils 
of Northwestern Minnesota, including peat lands. 

The weed eradication work is planned so as to de- 
termine and test methods of eradicating noxious 
weeds common to Northwestern Minnesota. This 
work is to be done on Northwestern Minnesota farms 
in typical areas. This project will be greatly 
extended. 

HORTICULTURAL DIVISION. 

In the Horticultural Division, one of the principal 
lines of work is with the potato plant, including va- 
riety testing, to determine the varieties best adapted 
to Northwestern Minnesota ; a study of tuber and leaf 
diseases, to determine the best methods of handling 
these diseases; a test of several methods of planting, 
to determine the method giving most profitable yield ; 
and seed selection of potato seed, to determine relation 
to yield, vigor, and resistance to disease. 

Extensive fruit, tree, and shrub investigations em- 
bracing variety and hardiness tests of tree fruits, 
small fruits, trees, shrubs and vines are in progress. 

Garden crops and field root crops are being grown 



to determine the best varieties for Northwestern 
Minnesota. 

LIVE STOCK DEPARTMENTS. 

In the animal and dairy husbandry work, feeding 
experiments with horses, cattle, swine, and sheep are 
in progress. The station herds include animals of 
the different breeds which are used, in addition, for 
school stock judging work. 

In the poultry department extensive trials com- 
paring artificial with the natural incubation of chick- 
ens have been conducted. Cockerel fattening work, 
egg preservation, goose feeding, wet versus dry mash 
feeding, the influence of various plans and methods 
of poultry house construction, have been tested. Sev- 
eral bulletins have been published dealing with poul- 
try raising. 

The experiment work at the Northwest Station can 
now be said to be well organized. A report published 
early in 1916 dealing with the preceding five years, 
showed an extensive program of work, much of which 
gave immediate results, but many projects seemed to 
require longer periods of time for results to be of 
anj' value. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

HISTORY OF AGRICULTURE IN POLK COUNTY. 

By Prof. C. G. Selvig. 

location of the county — early geological history — soils — temperature — settlement and first set- 
tlers red river carts — immigration after 1876 pioneer wheat farming agricultural devel- 
opments and production statistics — present farming conditions corn potatoes fruits — live 

stock industry — dairying — poultry raising — live stock farming — cattle statistics — growth op 

live stock raising statistics of farm products and live stock — drainage work in polk county, by 

george a. ralph, c. e. 

Polk County, Minnesota, is located in the heart of Valley, spread a gray drift over most of the western 



and southern parts of the State. This gray drift, de- 
rived in larger part from shale and limestone, has 
proved to be intensely fertile. Polk County is located 
on this gray drift area, and in that part of it that 
was covered by the ancient glacial Lake Agassiz. This 
lake was formed during the recession of the ice sheet. 
At its ma.xiraum development, it exceeded in size the 
five Great Lakes of today. The finest parts of the soil 
carried by the ice, or carried from the surrounding 
land were deposited towards the center of the lake 
where the water was deepest. This was the origin 
of the heavy clay soils which have made the Red River 
Valley one of the greatest grain growing regions in 
the world. 

There are patches of sand and gravel in this area 
where glacial streams formerly reached the lake, and 
long ridges of sand, flanked on either side by sandy 
loam, which mark its early shore lines. In Polk 
County these shore lines cross through the center 
from north to south. 

This glacial formation of the Red River Valley cre- 
west and entering Minnesota through the Red River ated a problem in securing adequate drainage, but a 

116 



the Red River Valley of the North. When first estab- 
lished, it extended from the Red River on the west 
to Lake Itasca and the Mississippi River on the east. 
In 1866, all east of the Hue between ranges 38 and 39 
was taken to form part of the new county of Beltrami. 
In 1881, Norman County was created by taking the 
four southern tiers of townships from the county of 
Polk, and, in 1897, the county of Red Lake was or- 
ganized by taking twenty-four full and seven frac- 
tional townships in a somewhat irregular form from 
its northeastern part. Polk County, as it is today, is 
forty-six miles from east to west in its main part, and 
about thirty miles from north to south. It has several 
streams and in the eastern part there are innumerable 
lakes. The average elevation of the western half 
of the county is between 750 aud 1,000 feet. The 
south half has an elevation of between 1,000 and 1,200 
feet, while in the south-eastern corner, the elevation 
is between 1,250 and 1,500 feet. 

E.\RLY GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. 

The Kewatin ice sheet, advancing from the north- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



117 



great deal of work has been done which is proving 
satisfactory for the successful production of crops. 

SOILS. 

The soils of Polk County may be divided into three 
distinct areas as follows : First. The Eastern area of 
glacial-till, of a clayey nature, with a marked undu- 
lation to a hilly topography dotted with lakes, and 
which was originally wooded with hardwood timber. 

Second. The "sandy ridge" area, a strip of land 
several miles wide and running north and south across 
the middle portion of the county. 

Third. The prairie fiats to the west of the "sandy 
ridge" area which extends in a magnificent plain to 
the Red River of the North, and which has a soil won- 
derful in its richness and fertility. It is of a lacus- 
trine and alluvial origin, being deposited there by the 
waters of Lake Agassiz and the flood waters of the 
streams that emptied into the plain at a later day. 
The top soil varies from a sandy loam to a heavy 
clay loam. This dark rich loam varies from a depth 
of 12 inches to 30 inches. It is underlaid by a silty 
clay, which, in most cases, is almost impervious to 
water. 

The plain has been cut through by numerous 
streams and rivers whose beds lie from ten to forty 
feet below the level of the prairie, affording excellent 
outlets for the numerous drainage ditches that have 
been constructed by the state and county. These 
ditches have a fall of several feet per mile and where 
these ditches have been made, drainage forms a simple 
problem to the farmer, which can be easily and 
cheaply effected by shallow surface ditches. 

TEMPERATURE. 

The mean annual temperature of Polk County is 
between 37° and 38° Fahrenheit. The mean annual 
temperature during the months of April to September 
is between 57° and 58°, and during June, July, and 
August between 65° to 66°. The average date of the 
last frost in Polk County is between the dates of May 



15 and May 20. The average date of the first fall 
frost is September 22. This gives an average grow- 
ing season for the county of between 120 and 130 
days. 

The average annual precipitation of the county 
is 22 inches, being greater in the eastern two-thirds 
of the county, where the average is 24 inches. The 
average of precipitation from October to March 
varies from 3.73 inches in the northwestern part to 
5.31 inches in the eastern two-thirds of the county. 
The precipitation from April to September is 15.37 
inches in the northwestern part of the county, and 
17.07 inches in the eastern section. The evaporation 
varies directly with the temperature, and is, there- 
fore, less rapid in northwestern Minnesota than in 
regions farther south. A rainfall of 24 inches in 
Polk County is equal in crop producing power to 40 
or even 50 inches in lower latutudes. In the north- 
ern Red River Valley as much as 77 per cent, of the 
precipitation occurs in the growing season. This, 
and the fact that the average annual depth of evapora- 
tion from a free water surface in Polk County is 
from 20 to 30 inches, makes conditions that are favor- 
able for crop producing and, particularly, for rais- 
ing of small grains. 

SETTLEMENT OF POLK COUNTY. 

The settlement of Polk County was a part of the 
general movement that occurred in the late years 
of the decade of 1860 and the early years of that 
of 1870. In 1843, Norman Kittson established a 
trading post at Pembina, in the Red River Valley, 
which later became the location of a Hudson's Bay 
Company's post. In 1823, Major Long had ascended 
to the Minnesota portage through to the Red River, 
returning later by way of Rainy River and Lake 
Superior. This indicated the means of entry into 
Polk County, located in the center of the Red River 
Valley. Between the Mississippi and the Red River, 
the principal water route led up the Minnesota River, 
and over the portage at Browns Valley, from Big 



118 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



Stone Lake into Lake Traverse, and thence north on 
the Red River. The distance by this route from St. 
Paul to Pembina was said to be 448 miles, and the 
time taken by carts was 30 to 40 days. The stage 
route over which the early settlers in Polk County 
arrived was laid out in 1859, following an inter- 
mediate course along the border of the hardwood belt 
by way of Sauk Rapids, Osakis, Alexandria, Pomme 
de Terre (near Ashby), and Breckeuridge. It is esti- 
mated that during 1869, 2,500 river carts passed up 
and down the valley. 

The first steamboat was called the Anson Northup 
and was launched on the Red River in 1859. Funds 
for its construction had been obtained in part by pub- 
lic subscriptions in St. Paul, the purpose being to 
secure the trade for that city of Fort Garry (Winni- 
peg) and the Red River Region. The period of most 
active navigation in the Red River Valley was dur- 
ing the years following 1871, when the Northern 
Pacific Railroad had reached Moorhead, the usual 
head of navigation, and while the river north of 
that point was not yet paralleled by railroads. Dur- 
ing this period, there were four or five boats on the 
river which made from 35 to 65 round trips an- 
nually, depending largely on the stage of the water 
and the length of the season. 

POLK county's first SETTLERS. 

It was during this period that Polk County received 
its first settlers. The following is from an article by 
Judge Watts in the "History of the Red River Val- 
ley:" 

"In 1871, there came from southeastern Minnesota 
some Norwegian families that settled along the Red 
River and near it, in what are now the towns of Hub- 
bard, Vineland, Tynsid, and Bygland. Farther north, 
at, and near the place where the Red Lake River joins 
the Red, and along the Marais, at this time also came 
a considerable number of Scotch and Canadian people, 
who had been attracted ])y accounts of the lower part 
of the Valley in the Dominion of Canada, but finding 
the desirable lands there already taken or reserved, 
returned to this place, one of the garden spots of the 
Northwest, to make fine homes for themselves and 
their families. A line of boats had been established 



by Norman Kittson plying the waters of the river be- 
tween Moorhead and Winnipeg, and upon them, most 
of these settlers reached their new homes. Among 
those who came thus, and made the deepest impres- 
sion upon the future of the county, were Robert Coul- 
ter, John Coulter, and William Fleming." 

RED RIVER CARTS. 

These Red River carts and steaml)oats — and es- 
pecially the steamboats — were, undoubtedly, great 
factors in promoting immigration, and in developing 
agi-iculture in the Red River Valley. Owing to the 
earlier establishment of agriculture by the Selkirk 
settlers, more immigrants seemed to have come into 
Canada by this route, than stopped off in the Minne- 
sota part of the Valley. The railroad was constructed 
from Glyndon to Snake River in 1872 and, in 1875, 
from Crookston to Fisher's Landing. Interesting in- 
cidents are told of the early traffic on the railroad 
between Crookston and Glyndon. The people at 
Crookston built a platform on two pairs of railway 
trucks, and attached sails, and used them in making 
trips down to Glyndon, bringing back supplies. 

Polk County was declared to be a legally organized 
county by an act of the Legislature approved March 
3, 1873. 

Within the space of ten years, and for the most 
part within five years, the development of settlement 
in Polk County dependent upon Red River carts, stage 
lines, and river navigation for intercourse with the 
outside world, came to an end, and a way was opened 
for the rapid settlement of the agricultural develop- 
ment of the country. 

IMMIGRATION TO POLK COUNTY. 

The population in 1876 was 937, of mixed nation- 
alities, but largely Norwegians. In 1877 lands sold 
for $2.50 per acre. The immigration during this 
period was largely from Norway and Sweden, and 
about one-half the population were Scandinavians or 
of Scandinavian descent. In 1878, a large immigi-a- 
tion of French Canadians and their descendants set 
in. In 1877 the railroad had been extended to St. 
Vincent. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



119 



EARLY WHEAT FARMING. 

The period of wheat farming in the Red River Val- 
ley began in 1870. In 1872 the average production 
per acre was 17.4 bushels as against 12.28 bushels in 
1871. The use of middlings, through the invention of 
a middling purifier, in 1870, greatly increased wheat 
production. This invention was in general use by 
1876. The invention of iron or porcelain rollers, re- 
placing the old mill stones, added another strong 
factor in increasing wheat production. These inven- 
tions resulted in increased prices for wheat. During 
the years 1877 to 1884 there was a boom period in 
Polk County. This was followed by additional rail- 
roads tapping the county. In 1884, the raih'oad was 
laid from Shirley to St. Hilaire. In 1886 the D. & M. 
road was built fi*om Fertile to Red Lake Falls, and 
west through to Grand Forks. In 1898 the Great 
Northern line was built from Duluth to Grand Forks 

The territory included in Polk County at that time 
comprised the present counties of Polk, Red Lake, 
Norman, and Mahnomen, with a population of 11,400 
persons. In the same year, only 4.3 per cent of the 
land area of Polk County was improved. The acreage 
of wheat in 1879 in Polk County was 31,000 acres, 
producing 535,000 bushels of wheat, or an average of 
seventeen bushels to the acre. Wheat farming con- 
tinued up to 1895, when diversified farming began to 
be practiced. The population of Polk County in- 
creased to 30,192 in 1890, and to 39,209 in 1895, and 
with Red Lake County taken out, to 35,499 in 1900; 
37,212 in 1905 ; and 36,001 in 1910. 

AGRICUIVrURALi DEVELOPMENTS AND PRODUCTION 
STATISTICS. 

The same condition of agricultural depression ex- 
isted in Minnesota during the decade of 1870 as in 
other "Western States, though apparently in a less 
extreme form. As a result, farmers, on the average, 
found themselves able to accumulate little except 
through the rise in value of their lands. The infer- 
ence seems warranted that it was this relative un- 
profitableness of agriculture which started the rush to 



the cities and likewise furnished the motive power both 
of the Grange movement to regulate railroad rates, 
and of the several cheap money campaigns designed 
to check the fall of prices. 

There were no noticeable changes in the average 
size, value, and tenure of farms in Polk County from 
1860 to 1910, as shown by census figures. The larger 
increase in the average value per acre of land and 
buildings between the years of 1900 and 1910 indi- 
cates one important result of the transition from 
specialized wheat farming to diversified farming. 

AVERAGE SIZE, VALUE, AND TENURE OF FARMS IN POLK COUNTY 
FROM 1860 TO 1910. 







Val. of 


Av. val. per 


Per cent 






land 


acre land 


worked 


Year. 


Av. Size. 


and bldgs. 


and bldgs. 


byowners. 


1860... 


. 3.56.7 Acres 


$ 16,000 


$ 7.48 




1880... 


. . 215.4 Acres 


3,189,394 


8.45 


98^7 


1890... 


. 193.2 Acres 


9,085,270 


10.21 


92.7 


1900... 


, . 224.3 Acres 


16,054,900 


16.50 


88.5 


1910... 


. . 2.52.2 Acres 


29,738,082 


33.46 


81.1 



Polk County early became one of the foremost coun- 
ties in the Red River Valley group. The rapid ad- 
vancement made in production of the principal crops 
is here given : 

In 1880 there were 7,000 acres of oats with a pro- 
duction of 240,000 bushels ; 1,000 acres of barley with 
20,000 bushels; 11,000 acres of hay with 7,000 tons. 
No statistics for wlieat, rye, corn, and potatoes are 
available. 

In 1890 there were 237,439 acres of wheat with 
3,013,361 bushels; 44,215 acres of oats with 226,221 
bushels ; 16,474 acres of barley with 300,439 bushels ; 
153 acres of corn with 4,100 bushels; 2,393 acres of 
potatoes with 283,382 bushels. 

In 1900 there were 305,807 acres of wheat with a 
production of 4,128,620 bushels ; 65,267 acres of oats 
with 1,873,450 bushels ; 28,194 acres of barley with a 
yield of 682,230 bushels; 575 acres of corn, with 15,- 
030 bushels; 1,651 acres of potatoes with 252,965 
bushels. 

In 1910 the wheat area had shrunk to 164,229 acres 
with 2,621,256 bushels; 96,774 acres of oats with 2,747,- 
228 bushels; 53,268 acres of barley with 1,173,579 



120 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



bushels ; 2,903 acres of corn with 96,890 bushels, and 
3,900 acres of potatoes with 524,374 bushels. 

PRESENT FARMING CONDITIONS IN POLK COUNTY. 

The results of numerous chemical analyses of the 
soils of Polk County show them to contain all the 
plant food elements in abundance. Their high lime- 
stone content would class them with the best lime- 
stone soils in the world. They are, also, exception- 
ally rich in organic matter and potash. Many of 
these soils which have known no other than grsiin 
crops since first they were broken in the "eighties" 
still produce in a normal season, with good tillage, 
from 15 to 25 bushels of wheat to the acre. Where 
a rotation of crops has been followed, good plowing 
done, some manure applied, and good seed used, with 
proper preparation of the seed bed and adequate 
drainage, this soil will produce from 40 to 80 bushels 
of oats; 20 to 35 bushels of wheat of the finest qual- 
ity; 30 to 50 bushels of barley; 15 to 25 bushels of 
flax ; 18 to 20 bushels of winter rye ; 30 to 50 bushels 
of corn, or when cut for silage, 10 to 15 tons per acre. 
Timothy and clover yield from one and one-half to 
three tons per acre; alfalfa from two to four tons; 
potatoes from 200 to 300 bushels on clover land, 
where manure has been used, and from 100 to 200 
bushels following grain, without manure. Maximum 
yields are often reported doubling the minimum of 
those stated above. 

CORN. 

Corn, it may be said, has completed the conquest 
of the State, since, according to the census of 1910, 
com of some sort was grown in every county but two. 
Polk County has shared greatly in this development, 
as it is gradually becoming a standard crop. 

POTATOES. 

The opportunities for siiccessful potato growing in 
Polk County are unsurpassed. The soil and climatic 
conditions are such as produce potatoes of excellent 
flavor, splendid keeping qualities, and high yielding 



power. The counties of the Red River Valley have 
long been known as the home of the Early Ohio seed 
potato; however, both early and late varieties grow 
here to great perfection. This region is not subject 
to many of the serious diseases of other potato re- 
gions of the United States. It is because of their 
great constitutional vigor that the Red River Valley 
seed potatoes are much sought for in the seed potato 
markets of the middle west. 

FRUITS. 

Contrary- to the view of those not acquainted with 
Polk County conditions, tree and small fruits are 
easily and profitably grown here. Native fruits, such 
as plums, grapes, blueberries, high-bush cranberries, 
gooseberries, and many others grow in great abun- 
dance in the woods along the watercourses. 

The standard varieties of plums, gooseberries, cur- 
rants, and crab apples grow with but little care, and 
produce large crops of fruit. Hardy varieties of ap- 
ples given intelligent care and attention yield abun- 
dantly, as has been proved by the many bearing trees 
and orchards of Polk County. The same as in any 
other region, the successful growing of fruits is more 
dependent upon the man than it is upon the climate, 
and an increasing number of persons are proving that 
there are no handicaps of note to prevent success 
along this line, here. 

LIVE STOCK INDUSTRY. 

Beginning in 1890, live stock came to be gradu- 
ally introduced into Polk County. It had been recog- 
nized all the time that the county possessed excep- 
tional advantages for the growing of beef cattle, 
horses, sheep and hogs, as well as for dairying. 

The fundamental conditions which are necessary 
for live stock raising are amply filled here. There 
are many varieties of cheap feeds which will furnish 
the different food nutrients for growth and fatten- 
ing, such as are found in home grown feeds, as al- 
falfa, shock corn, or corn silage, barley, oats, and 
flax. Another great advantage is found in the dry 



COJIPENDIUJI OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



121 



climate, free from sudden and extreme changes. This 
fact regarding the climate is of greatest importance. 
The temperature in the winter is somewhat low but 
with the dryness of the atmosphere, this is not a seri- 
ous matter with beef cattle, and especially those that 
are being fattened. Suflficient shelter can be pro- 
vided at a very small cost, as, for example, simply a 
straw shed with openings at the south side. Beef 
cattle are different from dairy cattle in this respect, 
because they retain all the body heat, a large propor- 
tion of which, in the dairy cow, is withdrawn when 
the milk is removed twice each day. 

Live stock raising with beef cattle production as 
the main ob.iect can be operated with probably the 
smallest amount of labor of all the different classes 
of farming. Polk County has the farms and the 
labor can be secured. The general conditions apply- 
ing to beef cattle also applj' to sheep and swine. 
Great success has followed iu this work. In raising 
beef, mutton, and pork, the good water, the dry cli- 
mate, and the easily grown feeds present unusually 
favorable conditions for the man of even moderate 
means. Many splendid herds are hei'e now, with 
increasing numbers each year. 

DAIRYING. 

It has been demonstrated year after j'ear, that corn, 
clover, and alfalfa can be depended upon for a good 
crop in Polk Countj^ With these crops, dairying is 
assured of its proper place in the fi'ont rank. Dairy- 
ing means a constant monthly income from the sale 
of the products, the utilization of the farm help dur- 
ing the winter months, when labor is comparatively 
cheap, and above all, the use of the home grown feeds 
upon the farm and the return of the fertility to the 
soil. 

Polk County has all the elements of a dairying 
section. Dairy herds are springing up around every 
town. A co-operative creamery is the proud boast of 
nearly every community in the county. There are 
21 creameries in the county, 19 of which are co-oper- 
ative. This can be said of only four other counties 
8 



of the state. These 20 creameries paid to the farmers 
of this county, $492,346.12, in 1912, for butterfat 
alone. There is room for mauj' times as many 
dairy cows as there are at present. The earning ca- 
pacity of Minnesota cows has grown from $15.40 each 
iu 1890 to $53.10 each in 1912. With such a showing 
the prospects are favorable. 

POULTRY RAISING. 

There is no section of the country that presents 
greater opportunities in poultry raising than Polk 
Countj^ The markets are at its door, the Twin Cities 
to the south, Duluth and the Iron Range cities to 
the east; and numerous summer resorts, scattered 
over a wide area, give access to the greatest markets 
in the Northwest. 

The climate of this part of the State is exti'emely 
favorable to poultry raising. The stead.y, unvariable 
winter weather insures the best of health and vigor 
in the flocks, while tlie long cool summer days are 
conducive to the most rapid and steady growth of its 
young stock. Indeed, it is freely admitted by buyers 
of national reputation, that nowhere in the United 
States can be found young stock of chickens, ducks, 
and turkeys, that exhibit such marked indications of 
rapid growth and freedom from disease as are pro- 
luced in this part of the state. 

LIVE STOCK FARMING. 

The greatest asset of any county is the number of 
farmers that are using the natural advantages sur- 
rounding them to the best advantage. Live stock 
farming, be it with beef cattle, sheep, dairy cows, 
brood mares, or poultry, is profitable every year, and 
annually leaves the farm in better shape. This is 
what the Red River Valley counties are going into, 
and Polk County is going with the rest. The move- 
ment is strongly in evidence in every community. 

The following table shows the total number of cat- 
tle and per cent of dairy cows in Polk County for 
1860 to 1910, with the exception of 1870. The table 
following shows the dairy production of Polk County 
for the same period: 



122 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



CATTLE STATISTICS. 

Total No. Dairy Other Per cent 

Year. Cattle. Cows. Cattle. Dairy. 

18C0 114 15 99 ia.2 

1880 7,304 2,774 4,530 38.0 

1890 39,397 14,413 24,984 36.6 

1900 41,015 16,021 24,994 39.1 

1910 5.3,491 24,650 28,841 46.1 



of the county consists of liigL rolling laud, partly tim- 
bered. 

The following elevations of land and water surfaces 
at various places in the countj' will show at a glance 
the practicability of drainage : 



D.URT PRODUCTS OF POLK COUNTY. 



Milk pro- 
duced on 
fanus, 
gallons. 



Mim, 

gH lions 

sold. 



Cream, 

gallons 

sold. 



Butter 

made on 

rarnis, 

IHjuiids. 

1,4.50 
110,253 



Butter. 

pounds 
sold. 



Cheese 

made on Clieeec. 

farms, pounds 

pounds, sold. 



Sear. 
1860 

1880 1,.565 110,253 738 

1890.. 4,157,202 981,314 16,162 

1900.. 7,494,300 314,389 3,000 1,438,801 676,660 33,272 30,714 
1910.. 8,039,937 338,421 127,238 1,377,339 665,911 466 



VALUE OF FARM PRODUCTS. 





Total value 






Per capita 




of all farm 


Per square 


Per acre 


of county's 


Year. 


l)roJuets. 


mile. 


imi)roved. 


population. 


1880... 


. . $ 61.5,304 


$ 138.27 


$ 5.02 


$ 63.03 


1890... 


. . 2,223,310 


736.68 


5.25 


93.33 


1900... 


. . 3,662,269 


1,850.57 


5.62 


145.63 


1910... 


. . 7,216,630 


3,646.60 


11.21 


326.15 



The number of farms at present, 3,500. 

The number and value of live stock in Polk County 
from the years 1860 to 1910 with the exception of 1870 
is given in the following table : 

NUMBER AND VALUE OP LIVE STOCK IN POLK COUNTY, 1860-1910. 

Year. Number. Value. 

1860 139 $ 5,450 

1880 12,653 549,002 

1890 76,214 1,8.38,973 

1900 91,686 2,435,827 

1910 95,989 3,704,380 

There were two creameries in 1890. The number 
increased to three creameries and five cheese factories 
in 1896. In 1910 these increased to thirteen cream- 
eries and seven cheese factories, and in 1915 to twenty- 
one creameries and one cheese factory. 

DRAINAGE WORK IN POLK COUNTY, 
BY GEORGE A. RALPH, C. E. 

The western lialf of Polk County is in the Red 
River Valley, and, to a casual observer, has the ap- 
pearance of very level prairie land. In reality it has 
a good general slope towards the northwest ranging 
from three to sis feet to the mile. The eastern half 



Eler. above sea, 
(land surface) 

Fosston 1,290 

Mcintosh 1,220 

Fertile 1,144 

Mentor 1,168 

Crookston 890 

Beltrami 902 

East Grand Forks 835 

Mouth Sand HiU Biver . . 865 

N. W. corner of county. . 810 



Kiev, above sea, 
( water surface) 



1,275 

1,200 

1,120 

1,156 

848 

882 

790 

801 

770 



Lake surface 
Sand Hill River 
Sand Hill Kiver 
Maple Lake 
Red Lake River 
Sand Hill River 
Red Lake River 
Red River 
Red River 



The valley portion of the county is separated from 
the rolling land to the east by a well defined gravel 
ridge claimed by geologists to be the eastern beach of 
ancient Lake Agassiz, which at one time covered the 
entire Red River Valley. The old Pembina Trail be- 
tween Fort Garry and St. Anthony Falls followed this 
ridge. 

Polk County has always been in the front rank in 
any movement having for its object the reclamation 
of the wet lands of the state. Her citizens have 
reached drainage in season and out of season, and 
were the first to take decisive action. 

FIRST DRAINAGE CONVENTION IN THE STATE. 

The first drainage convention in Minnesota was held 
in Crookston July 1 and 2, 1886. The subject of 
draining the Red River Valley had long been dis- 
cussed by the citizens, but public attention was drawn 
toward its investigation by a newspaper article writ- 
ten by Hon. Frank Ives, of Crookston, and published 
in the Crookston press in the spring of 1886. Fol- 
lowing the publication of Judge Ives' article, there 
was an outburst of comment and approval throughout 
the Valley, and the result was a call for a convention 
of the citizens at Crookston on tlie dates heretofore 
mentioned. 

There was a large attendance of farmers and busi- 
ness men, fully representative of the interests in- 
volved. Mr. Springer Harbaugh, of St. Paul, pre- 
sided ; Fred Puhler and H. E. Cook were secretaries. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



123 



The convention lasted two days; and during its ses- 
sions the necessity, practicability, and advantages of 
a general drainage of the low lauds of the county 
were thoroughly discussed. Near the close James J. 
Hill, president of the St. Paul, ^liuueapolis & Mani- 
toba Railway (now the Great Northern) proposed 
that a drainage survey of the Valley be made. He 
further promised that if the several counties inter- 
ested would pay one-half of the expenses of such a 
survey, the railroad company which he represented 
would pay the other half. An executive committee 
was created consisting of one member from each 
county interested in drainage and three members ap- 
pointed by Mr. Hill. There were six counties that 
had declared themselves interested and the original 
members of the committee from these counties were : 

E. D. Childs, of Polk; S. A. Farnsworth, of Norman ; 

F. J. Burnham, of Clay; D. McCauley, of Wilkin; 
C. W. Culbertson, of Marshall, and H. W. Donaldson, 
of Kittson. Mr. Hill appointed M. R. Brown, of 
Crookston; J. T. Fanning, of Minneapolis, and C. E. 
Page, then of Ada, afterwards of Fergus Falls. Upon 
organizing, M. R. Brown was chosen president, S. A. 
Farnsworth, secretary, and E. D. Childs, treasurer. 
Mr. Farn.sworth removed to St. Paul (where he still 
resides), and C. E. Page was elected to succeed him. 

THE RED RIVER VALLEY DRAINAGE COMMISSION. 

Thus was constituted the organization called the 
Red River Valley Drainage Commission so weU known 
in northwesteru Minnesota. It was largely a Polk 
County organization. The headquarters of the com- 
mission were at Crookston and two of its most active 
members were Polk County men. 

The purpose of this commission was to take charge 
of the work of making a complete drainage survey of 
the Red River Valley. Mr. Hill, on behalf of his 
company, agreed to and did contribute one-half the 
cost of the survey, besides furnishing free transporta- 
tion to those engaged in doing the work. The several 
counties affected furnished the other half. The head- 
quarters of this commission was in Crookston. The 



survey was completed and maps aud reports compiled 
and published early in the year 1887. This survey 
was in charge of C. G. Elliott, of Illinois, chief engi- 
neer of the commission, who had twelve assistant engi- 
neers employed. The writer was one of the engineers 
employed on this work. J. T. Fanning was chosen as 
consulting engineer of the commission. 

This survey proved very conclusively that the Red 
River Valley lands were not as level as generally be- 
lieved to be, but had a slope of from three to six feet 
to the mile, and that complete and effective drainage 
was not only practicable, but could be secured at com- 
paratively small cost. 

THE LEGISLATURE AIDS THE WORK. 

The members of the Legislature from Polk and other 
Red River Valley counties fortified with this drain- 
age report and backed by a strong delegation from 
Polk County tried, for several sessions of the Legis- 
lature, to secure the passage of drainage laws and 
appropriations for reclaiming swamp lands, but not 
until the legislative session of 1893 were they success- 
ful in securing the desired legislation. At this session 
an act was passed creating the Red River Valley 
Drainage Commission, and appropriating $100,000 
for drainage work ; also an act which provided for a 
general state law for the drainage of wet lands under 
county management, and assessing the cost of doing 
the work against lauds benefited tliereby. The first 
ditch constructed under this law was County Ditch 
No. 1, Polk County, about six miles in length and run- 
ning south and emptying into Red Lake River two 
miles west of Crookston. The first state ditch com- 
pleted by the Red River Valley Drainage Commission 
was the Sand Hill River State Ditch, Polk County, 
extending from Beltrami along the Sand Hill and 
emptying into that stream nine miles WTst of the vil- 
lage. 

Drainage work has progressed without interruption 
since 1893. There is, at the present time, approxi- 
mately 800 miles of public drainage ditches in Polk 
County which have been constructed at a cost of a 



124 



COMPENDimr OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



little over $1,000,000. This expenditure, while it may 
seem large, represents a little over $1 per acre for the 
lands l)enefited. 

GOOD RESULTS OBTAINED. 

The rise in farm laud values from !{!25 per acre 
in 1900 to $60 and $75 per acre in 1915 is, in a large 
measure, due to the extensive drainage work which 
had been carried on during tliis period. Nearly all 
of the drainage work done in Polk County consists 
of open ditches. Tile drainage has just begun. The 
tile drains that have been constructed fully demon- 
strate the practicability as well as the great benefits 
that will result from this kind of drainage. 

I am convinced tliat tile di-ainage will now supple- 
ment open ditches wherever additional drainage is re- 
quired. The open ditch w-as necessary, not only for 
the purpose of removing storm water, but also to fur- 
nish an outlet for under drainage, and under drainage 
is necessary in order to get the greatest returns from 
the land. The effect of tile drainage on the lands of 
Polk County is just as marked as on lands in other 
States. A well-drained, well-cultivated farm in Polk 
County should give fully as good returns to the farmer 
as the best lands of Iowa or Illinois. 

SOME OF THE DITCHES CONSTRUCTED. 

Among the most important county and judicial 
ditches are the judicial ditches numbered 1, 3, 4, and 
60, and the county ditches niuiiliered 2, 9, 12, and 66. 

Judicial Ditch No. 1 is one of the largest ditches in 
the county. It ha.s an average width of 50 feet, an 
average depth of 10 feet and is 12 miles long. It 
drains the northwestern part of the county. Judicial 
Ditch No. 3 drains the southwestern part of the 
county. It is 16 miles long, has an average width of 
30 feet, and an average depth of 9 feet. Judicial 
Ditch No. 4 drains a large area in the eastern part of 
the county. It is 18 miles long, has an average width 
of 35 feet and an average depth of 8 feet. Judicial 
Ditch No. 60 drains the territory' northeast of Crooks- 



ton. It is IG miles long, has an average width of 30 
feet and depth of 8 feet. 

County Ditch No. 2 drains the territory between 
Angus and tlie Red River. It is 12 miles long, has an 
average width of 35 feet and depth of 8 feet. County 
Ditch No. 9 drains the territorj' south of Russia village 
extending west to Sand Hill River. It is 11 miles 
long, 30 feet wide and 7 feet deep. County Ditch 
No. 12 drains the territory north and west of Bel- 
trami. It is 16 miles long, 26 feet wide and 7 feet 
deep. County Ditch No. 66 drains a large area north 
and northeast of Crookston. It is 8 miles long, 25 feet 
wide and 6 feet deep. 

State Ditches numbered 6, 23, and 61 are in Polk 
Count}'. No. 6 is known as the Sand Hill River Ditch. 
It is 12 miles long, 6 to 8 feet deep and 40 feet wide. 
No. 23, known as tlie Grand IMarais State Ditch, is 5 
miles long, from 5 to 15 feet deep, and 40 feet wide. 
It consists of opening the outlet of this old river bed 
No. 60, known as Lost River State Ditch, and is an 
improvement consisting of opening up and straighten- 
ing the channel of Lo.st River. It is 21 miles long, 
from 5 to 8 feet deep and 36 feet wide. 

The work done by the Drainage Commission is and 
lias been of incalculable value, especially to the lands 
on the west side of Polk County. The reclamation of 
so many thousands of acres of these lands from watery 
and swampy conditions, forbidding cultivation, to areas 
of fine, fertile, and highly productive fields, has been 
a work of the greatest benefit to the county, the region, 
and the State. In its scientific character it is a very 
rare and unsurpassed piece of drainage engineering, 
and the best proof of this assertion is that the ditches 
have done the work assigned to them and expected of 
them. In some instances the sandy nature of the soil 
forming the sides and bottom of the ditch has been 
responsible for its washing away and its enlargement, 
but there is no danger of destruction, or even great 
damage from this cause. The damages to the entire 
ditch system will not be serious or consequential ; the 
benefits from the great enterprise will be magnificent 
and perpetual. 



CHAPTER XV. 

THE RISE AND PALL OF COLUMBIA COUNTY. 

By Charles L. Conger. 

some proceedings of the board business done regularly and in order — defeat and disaster after all 

— the new county fight of 1896 — the leaders of columbia's fight for existence. 

For some years after the year 1890 certain citizens lation and controlling influences in northwestern 
of what are commonly called the Thirteen Towns — Minnesota's business and commercial affairs. They 
being the thirteen Congressional townships in the denied that there was any necessity for a new county 



southeastern part of Polk County — had agitated and 
promoted the project of the formation of a new 
county to be composed of the townships named. The 
grounds assigned for the change in the composition 
of the original Polk County were various. Some 
persons said the district was too far from the county 
seat (Crookston) and that the people could not at 
tend court or transact other county business without 
trouble and difficulty. Others were prohibitionists, 



to be taken by a sort of Caesarian operation from 
the body of the mother organization. They also 
charged that the advocates of the new scheme only 
desired that the towns or villages in which they were 
interested should become county seats, or that they 
should become county officers. 

Late in 1900 the partisans of a new county in the 
Thirteen Towns took decided action. December 13 
a petition was filed with the Secretary of State, pray- 



or zealous temperance advocates, and feared that the ing for the creation of the proposed new division, 

which was to cover the area of the Thirteen Towns 
and called Nelson County (in honor of Ex-Governor 
and then Senator Knute Nelson), with its county seat 
at the village of Fosston, five legal voters were also 
named to constitute the first board of county commis- 
sioners. The next day, December 14, another and sim- 



western part of the county would some day become 
so strongly "wet" that Polk County, as a whole', 
would allow liquor selling throughout its borders. 
There Avere of course other reasons which were not 
either strong or attractive. There was a large ele- 
ment in the western part of the county which favored 



a new county that would be "dry" and allow the old ilar petition, describing the same territory precisely, 

county to remain "wet." was presented and filed with the Secretary of State. 

Those opposed to a new county favored keeping In this petition it was proposed to call the new county 



Polk undivided and undisturbed, in symmetrical 
shape, and strong and influential as a political divi- 
sion, which, they argued, would be better for the 
whole people. The area of the county with its 3,030 
square miles, was larger than either the States of 
Rhode Island or Delaware, with their 1,248 and 2,376 
square miles, respectively, and that Polk and its big 
sister county. Otter Tail, might, if not dismembered 
or mutilated, become powerful factors in State legis- 



Columbia, with Mcintosh as the county seat and five 
other and different legal voters to constitute the 
board of county commissioners. More than a year 
later, or July 22, 1902, a third petition was presented 
and filed asking for a new county with identically 
the same territory as named in the petitions for 
Nelson and Columbia. It was proposed to call this 
county Star, and its county seat was to be at Erskine. 
These several petitions were duly considered by 



125 



126 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



Governor Hon. John Lind, Secretary Peter E. Han- 
son, and Auditor K. C. Dunn, and December 17 the 
Governor issued his proclamation declaring that fact. 
The Governor further proclaimed that the question 
of the creation of the proposed new county was sub- 
mitted to the voters of Polk County to be voted upon 
at the next general election, November 4, 1902. All 
these proceedings were under Chapter 143 of the 
Laws of 1893, as amended by Chapter 124 of the Laws 
of 1895. Later a proposition to create the county of 
Valley was made and ordered voted upon. 

There was a very earnest and heated canvass over 
the new county question by the respective rivals. 
The newspapers of Fosston and Mcintosh conducted 
a spirited discussion of the question, each editor argu- 
ing plausibly if not convincingly for his own town. 
As the canvass progressed the rival villages made 
what they considered liberal offers to the voters. 
Each said that if its county with the favored name 
should be created, then the town would not only 
give the site for the public buildings but would build 
factories and mills which should furnish employment 
to many and add to the development and prosperity 
of the old Polk County. 

At the election November 4, 1902, the vote on 
the new county question was : 

For Columbia County : Yes, 1,513 ; no, 813. 

For Nelson County: Yes, 1,381; no, 112. 

For Star County : Yes, 132 ; no, 18. 

For Valley County : Yes, 135 ; no, 918. 

It seemed, on the face of the returns, that "Colum- 
bia County," with Mcintosh as the county seat, bad 
won, and great was the rejoicing in Mcintosh ! But 
the partisans of Fosston and "Nelson County" pro- 
tested that they had won the fight, and Star County 
had hopes; only "Valley County" was out of the 
running. The Nelson County forces set up the claim 
that under the Red Lake County decision (State ex 
rel. Atty. Childs vs. Comrs. Red Lake Co., 67 Minn., 
352) it was entitled to be the county, since on its 
proposition it had received a majority vote, and more- 
over its petition was the first filed, preceding that of 



Columbia County by one day. Chief Justice Start 
and Associate Judge Buck had said that the law did 
not authorize the submission of conflicting or com- 
peting petitions, and that the one first legally filed 
was the only one that ought to be submitted to a vote, 
"Columbia County" stood upon the decided majority 
it had received, and that all its proceedings had been 
regular and legal, and contended tliat it made no 
difference whether its petition had been the second 
filed — or the first or the fourth — because all four 
propositions. 

The result of the vote having been canvassed and 
announced. Governor Van Sant, following the rule 
announced by the Supreme Court in the Red Lake 
County case, issued his proclamation declaring the 
proposition for the creation and organization of Co- 
lumbia County carried. 

Thereupon the County Commissioners of the new 
county — who were named in the petition and the 
proclamation, and who were Lawrence O'Neill, Henry 
G. Mitchell, Ingebret Larson, llalvor Off, and Olaf 
Stardig — met at the temporary courthouse in ilc- 
Intosh December 23, 1902, and organized according 
to the forms of law and proceeded in the usual man- 
ner of County Commissioners. There was great satis- 
faction and even jubilation among the new county's 
people. For years they had labored for the creation 
of a county all their own and now they rejoiced that 
they had lived until their eyes had seen the glory. 

SOME PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOAUD. 

The Board chose Commissioner Mitchell as Presi- 
dent and Commissioner O'Neill as Clerk. The first 
business was the division of the county into five dis- 
tricts, as follows: District No. 1 was composed of 
the townships (or tovras*) of Garden, Winger, and 
Kuute and the village of Erskine. District No. 2, 
townships of Woodside, Grove Park, Badger, Lessor, 
and the village of Mentor. District No. 3, townships 



' Political divisions of counties in the Eastern States are 
called towns; in Western and Southern States they are called 
townships. In the West and South a town is either a village or 
a small city. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



127 



of Sletten, Brandsvold, King, and the village of Mc- 
intosh. District No. 4, townships of Johnson, Gully, 
Chester, Hill River, and Eden. District No. 5, town- 
ships of Queen, Rosebud, Columbia, and the village 
of Fosston. Thus the county was composed of eigh- 
teen Congressional and civil townships, every Con- 
gressional being a civil township. 

The Commissioners also elected a full list of county 
officers, who were : Auditor, Charles MeCarty ; 
Treasurer, F. E. Le Page ; Register of Deeds, Andrew 
Trovaaten ; Sheriff, Edward L. Stowe ; Judge of Pro- 
bate, Anton I. Solberg; Surveyor, J. E. Beime, of 
Fosston; Attorney, Harvey W. Stark; Clerk of the 
Courts, George E. Flatten ; School Superintendent, 
Gunstein D.Aakhus; Court Commissioner, Thomas 
R. Brownlee; Coroner, Dr. Archibald McBachren. 
At the second meeting of the Board it was announced 
that Geo. E. Flatten, who had been chosen Court's 
Clerk, had failed and refused to qualify for the posi- 
tion, and Charles Hanson was elected in his stead. 
The annual salaries were fixed at a subsequent meet- 
ing and the County Auditor was to receive $1,200, 
the Treasurer $360, the County Attorney $1,200, the 
Judge of Probate $825, and the Superintendent of 
Schools $10 per district. 

At the first meeting, December 23, it was announced 
that Attorney General Douglas had brought an action 
in the name of the State, which would bring up and 
determine the legality of Columbia County. The case 
was entitled ' ' the State of Minnesota on the relation 
of Wallace B. Douglas vs. Ingebret Larson." When 
the votes were canvassed at St. Paul, the Attorney 
General had said that, as to the election over the new 
county proposition Columbia County had won over 
Nelson and the other counties. But he said he was 
not certain as to the validity of the law under which 
the election was held, because it permitted four prop- 
ositions to be submitted to the individual voter, who, 
however, was restricted to voting only upon one. In 
his formal opinion he said, among other things, that 
to deprive the voter from voting upon each of the 
propositions submitted, where there is no question 



but that he has the right to have his vote counted and 
given force and effect, "seems to me," he said, "to 
be beyond the power of the Legislature." A fort- 
night or so later, he brought the action to test the 
law. He named Mr. Larson and the other Commis- 
sioners who alleged themselves to be officials of Col- 
umbia County and sought to have them ousted as 
one having no official authority. The Board granted 
the County Attorney assistance in defending the case, 
and Columbia's lawyers were County Attorney Stark, 
Gideon S. Ives, of St. Peter, and A. A. Miller, of 
Crookston. Representing the State were De Forest 
Bueklin, Martin O'Brien, J. H. Hendricks, and the 
strong St. Paul firm of Childs, Edgerton & Wick- 
wire. The writ of quo warrants were served on the 
Board January 6. 

But until the election was declared invalid, and 
"Columbia County" declared to have never legally 
existed, the County Board went ahead with its as- 
sumed duties. A transcript of its records* shows that 
on December 30 the Commissioners conferred with 
the Mcintosh Village Council in regard to providing 
a suitable room or rooms to be used as a sort of tem- 
porary court house, and that Chas. L. Conger, the 
President of the Council, agreed to have partitions 
put up in the village hall and the building wired for 
electric lights in order to accommodate the Board and 
the public business. Later the Council proposed to 
lease the city hall to the Commissioners for the use 
of the several county officers; to build a good and 
substantial vault, of sufficient size and security, in 
which to keep all records of the county, and to fur- 
nish a hall room for court purposes. The propositions 
were accepted and the County Attorney was in- 
structed to procure a lease from the proper village 
officials. 

Among other proceedings of the Board were the 
letting of contracts for the public printing for 1903 
to the Mcintosh Times and the Thirteen Towns ; the 
owners and conductors of these papers — respectively, 



* Kindly furnished for this history by Chas. L. Conger, Esq., 
of Mcintosh. 



128 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



Charles T. Lauman and Arthur W. Foss— were to 
publish the county financial statement, delinquent tax 
list, Commissioners' proceedings and other official 
notices, and to do the job printing. 

The First National Bank of Mcintosh, the Citizens' 
Bank of Mcintosh, and the Bank of Mentor were des- 
ignated the official depositories of the county. Geo. 
D. Barnard & Company agreed to furnish the county 
a $600 steel vault for the preservation of the public 
records. This company had already agreed to do 
$1,975 worth of printing for the county, and now the 
steel vault M'as to cost $600 more. But how it turned 
out that Barnard & Co. were the victims of misplaced 
confidence, and never received a cent for their con- 
tract, Avill be explained on another page. 

BUSINESS DONE REGULARLY AND IN ORDER. 

The officials of Cook County upon appointment im- 
mediately organized their respective offices and be- 
gan the transaction of appropriate business. The 
Register of Deeds began transcribing the records at 
Crookston so far as they pertained to Columbia 
County, and new deeds, mortgages, and other trans- 
fers were recorded as fast as ofllered. The Polk 
County officials relinquished all claim to any deeds or 
mortgages sent to the Register of Deeds of that 
county and sent them to the proper officers of Colum- 
bia County. The Clerk of the Courts transcribed 
from the Polk County records all judgments recorded 
therein which affected lands in Columbia County and 
recorded them in the latter county's books. Ilis of- 
fice at Mcintosh was open every day. 

The County Treasurer received all fees and pay- 
ments due to Columbia County and deposited all 
sums in the county's name. At the spring election of 
1903 a full complement of justices of the peace and 
constables was elected and they filed their official 
bonds with the Columbia officers; bills from justices' 
courts were duly allowed by the Columbia authorities. 
All former Polk County notaries residing within Col- 
umbia were re-appointed in the new county. 

The Judge of Probate committed a number of per- 



sons to the insane asylum and the bills for their trans- 
portation were audited and paid. He also probated 
a number of estates. His office, too, was open every 
day. 

In the Clerk of Court's office Joseph Ekstadt, Mrs. 
Samuel Hanson, and Guro Anderson, aliens, made 
their proper declarations to become U. S. citizens. 
The following named couples were licensed to marry : 
Lars Enguster and Ingeborg R. 0])pegaard. both of 
Mcintosh; Carl A. Johnson and Anna Sophia John- 
son, both of Gully ;01af Axel Engdahl,of Park Rapids, 
and Abigail M. Olsen, of Mcintosh ; Ingval E. Solberg, 
of Winsor, and Florence Coon, of Mcintosh; Johu N. 
Sanden and Anna W. Ahman, both of Mcintosh ; 
Thomas Oystad, of Winnipeg, Man., and Inga Ander- 
son, of Fosston ; Ole Kamplien, of Gossen, and Emma 
Josephine Faylestda, of Fosston; Ole Jlykleby and 
Krestene Lokken. 

Thus tlie county of Columbia, while it existed, was 
a de facto county and as such was recognized by the 
State and sister couuty authorities. A subsequent 
Legislature passed a sjiecial act legalizing all the acts 
of the de facto officials of the county, thus preventing 
much confusion and embarrassment. 

DEFEAT AND DISASTER AFTER ALL. 

But all the while officials and common citizens were 
apprehensive and uneasy. The result of the Attorney 
General's action to have the proceedings, the elec- 
tion, etc., leading to the county's organization de- 
clared illegal was uncertain. There were devout 
wishes that the Supreme Court would decide in favor 
of Columbia, and there were fond hopes in certain 
quarters — yet there were many doubts and misgiv- 
ings. 

At last, on April 16 (1903) the Supreme Court 
handed down its decision in the Attorney General 
against Larsen and Others case, and that decision was 
that the pretended organization was invalid and of 
no effect and its pretended officials were ousted from 
the offices which they claimed to hold. In brief, the 
Court's decision was (and it is still the law) that 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



129 



under Chapter 143 of the Laws of 1893, but one propo- 
sition for creating a new county involving the same 
territory can be submitted at the same election. In 
Columbia County's case there had been four proposi- 
tions at the same election. It was also decided that 
the first petition presented to the State officials for 
the organization of a new county must be given pri- 
ority by them in deciding which petition should be 
acted upon in calling an election. The late Judge 
Loren W. Collins, who wrote the opinion of the Court, 
declared : 

"It is impossible to believe that the Legislature 
intended by the act to permit and authorize an un- 
limited number of petitions to be filed for one county 
— that is to say, several petitions describing the same 
territory. * * • With three petitions, each de- 
scribing the same territory, there could be but one 
inuin proposition to be submitted, namely, the crea- 
tion of one new county, and but one. The petition 
first filed complied in form with the statute and de- 
manded that the creation of certain described terri- 
tory into a new county be submitted to the electors 
of Polk County. The subsequently filed petitions 
were mere repetitions as to this essential question, 
and invalid." (Italics Compiler's.) For the full de- 
cision, see Vol. 89 of the Minnesota Reports, pp. 123- 
131. The Revised Laws of 1905 changed the wording 
of the law to conform to the decision. 

THE "new county" FIGHT OF 1896. 

In the contest before the Supreme Court in 1905 
Columbia County's attorneys relied upon a former 
decision of the Court in 1896, in what is known as the 
Red Lake County case. The main facts in that case 
were these: 

May 8, 1896, four petitions for the organization and 
location of four new counties, to be formed out of a 
portion of Polk County, were filed with the Secretary 
of State. These proposed counties were to be called 
respectively "Nelson," for Hon. Knute Nelson; 
' ' Hill, ' ' for James J. Hill ; " Garfield, ' ' for the former 
President; "Red Lake," for the lake itself. The 
propositions for the creation of these counties were 
not inconsistent or competing, because no territory 
included in any one of the proposed counties was in- 
cluded in any one or more of the other. In the Co- 



lumbia County case of 1903 the territory was the 
same in each of the proposed counties. 

July 14, 1896, two other petitions were filed for the 
creation of two more new counties out of Polk County, 
to be called "Mills County," for Hon. Ira B. Mills, 
and "Columbia County," for the "Gem of the 
Ocean." Each of these two propositions were com- 
peting ones with the previous Red Lake and Nelson. 
Columbia competed with Garfield, each having part 
of the other's territory. More than half of the pro- 
posed Red Lake and pai-t of Nelson were included in 
ilills. A part of Red Lake was also included in Col- 
umbia, and Columbia included part of Garfield. At 
the general election of 1896 the propositions were 
voted upon and the vote resulted : 

Nelson County : For creation, 765 ; against, 1,050. 

Garfield County : For creation, 603 ; against, 608. 

Hill County : For creation, 553 ; against, 1,574. 

Red Lake County : For creation, 992 ; against, 449. 

Mills County: For creation, 334; against, 56. 

Columbia County : For creation, 575, against, 107. 

The Governor proclaimed that, as a result of the 
election, the proposition for the creation of Red Lake 
County had been adopted. In a case brought by At- 
torney General Childs against the Commissioners and 
other officials of Red Lake County the Supreme Court 
sustained the Governor's proclamation and the crea- 
tion. It decided that, "an elector may sign two or 
more non-competing petitions for the creation of 
new counties, but that only one of the competing 
propositions can be adopted at the same election, and 
to secure this result it must receive a majority of all 
the votes cast thereon, and also a plurality of the 
votes cast on the propositions with which it is com- 
peting." (State ex rel. Childs vs. Comrs., 67 Minn., 
pp. 352-360.) A comparison of the two decisions is 
both instructive and interesting. 

THE LEADERS OF COLUMBIA 's FIGHT FOR EXISTENCE. 

The prominent men of Mcintosh who fought for 
and led the movement to organize Columbia County 
were John P. Johnson, who is considered to have been 



130 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



the leader, and his principal lieutenants were C. T. 
Lanman, of the Mcintosh Times ; Dr. Archibald Mc- 
Eachren, Charles L. Conger, S. H. Drew, 0. E. Sto- 
vern, Anton Jensen, W. G. Hunt, and C. F. Page. 
These men started and led the movement originally. 

In the contest of 1902 the leading fighters were 
Johnson, Lanman, Conger, Drew, Jensen, and Hunt, 
and they were re-enforced by Thomas Lawrence, 
Wells S. Short, Paul W. Carpenter, E. A. Webster, 
Andrew Trovaaten, T. N. J. Reese, John L. Ilagen, 
Thomas R. Brownlee, and Leslie Shadduck. 

A prominent former Columbia County partisan, 
who has furnished much information for this article, 
writes the compiler on the subject and says: "The 
separation of the Thirteen Towns from Polk County 
and the creation of Columbia could yet be made at 
any general election were it possible for the villages 
of Fosston, Mcintosh, and Erskine to agree upon a 
county seat. But as each village will vote against 
any proposition that will locate the county seat in 



any other village, all hope of dividing the county has 
been abandoned. 

The only loser of a claim for money against Colum- 
bia is Barnard & Co., the St. Louis printers, who 
furnished the blank books and other stationery, 
amounting to over $2, .500. When Columbia County 
vanished they brought suit against Polk County as 
"the successor" of Columbia. But Polk County de- 
nied that it was anybody's "successor." It declared 
it had no sort of responsibility for Barnard & Co.'s 
claim, and eventually the Supreme Court (98 Minn., 
p. 289) sustained this county's contention. The 
Court's decision declared that when the attempt to 
create a new county out of the territory of an ex- 
isting county results in a de facto county, which is 
subsequently dissolved the original county is not 
liable for debts contracted by the de facto count}'. 
The old county is not the successor of the de facto 
county. 




o 



~z C 

- < 

PS 

-. c 

-• E- 

- < 



c s 

t^ — 

O £ 



CHAPTER XVI. 
THE BANKING INTERESTS OF THE COUNTY. 

SKETCHES OP SOME OF THE IMPORTANT AND TYPICAL BANKS OP POLK COUNTY CROOKSTON STATE BANK THE PIRST 

NATIONAL BANK OP M'INTOSH THE PIRST NATIONAL BANK OP CROOKSTON — POLK COUNTY STATE BANK — 

SCANDIA AMERICAN BANK, CROOKSTON — FIRST STATE BANK OF FERTILE FIRST STATE BANK OF EAST GRAND 

FORKS — STATE BANK OF ELDRED THE STATE BANK OF ERSKINE FARMERS STATE BANK OF WINGER — FIRST 

STATE BANK OF MENTOR CITIZENS STATE BANK OF FERTILE FARMERS STATE BANK OF FERTILE — FIRST NA- 
TIONAL BANK OP EAST GRAND FORKS STATE BANK OF FISHER FARMERS MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY 

FIRST STATE BANK OP BELTRAMI. 



CROOKSTON STATE BANK. 

The Crookston State Bank is one of the important 
financial institutions of the county and was organized 
May 1, 1909. It had operated for a number of years 
as a private bank, having been incorpoi-ated as such, 
May 1, 1902, with a capital of $20,000. L. E. Jones 
was elected president, J. A. Northrop, vice president 
and L. D. Foskett, cashier. E. S. Ellsworth was also 
interested in the enterprise. Upon its re-organization 
into the Crookston State Bank, the capital stock was 
increased to $40,000 and J. A. Northrop chosen presi- 
dent with S. C. Johnson as vice president and Mr. 
Foskett retained as cashier. These officers with E. A. 
Mills and L. Sargent are the directors of the bank. 
This institution is justly popular in all its business 
relations and all its interests have been attended with 
steady prosperity. It is widely known in the north- 
west, its activities being identified with the associate 
banks, the Farmers State Bank at Fosston ; the Secur- 
ity State Bank of Borup, Minn., the Ulen State Bank 
at Ulen, Minn., and Ellsworth & Jones at Iowa Falls, 
Iowa. 

THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF M 'iNTOSH. 

The Fii>st National Bank of Mcintosh was founded 
on January 1, 1903, and was the outgrowth of the 



State Bank of Mcintosh, which had succeeded the 
old Bank of Mcintosh, which was founded in 1889 
and was owned by James and Sol. H. Drew, and 
who continued in the banking business until 1901. 

The First National Bank has a capital stock of 
$25,000, with a surplus of $5,000, undivided profits 
of $6,000 and deposits of $200,000. 

The bank building is a beautiful pressed brick, 
23x52, with offices in second story. Present officers 
are : C. M. Berg, president ; K. K. Hofford, vice 
president, and Geo. A. Beito, cashier. The majority 
of the stock is owned by the people of Mcintosh. The 
bank is modern with safety boxes, vaults, etc. 

THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF CROOKSTON. 

The First National Bank, of Crookston, is one of 
the oldest and best known financial institutions in 
northern Minnesota and during the many years of 
its successful and extensive transactions, has been 
instrumental in promoting the development of this 
region. The bank was founded in 1881, with a cap- 
ital stock of $50,000. The directors were, Ansell 
Bates, William Anglin, Conrad Utzimer, Morris 
Brown, J. I. Case and R. H. Baker. Mr. Baker was 
made the first president, Morris Brown, vice president 
and Ansell Bates, cashier, serving in that position 



131 



132 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



for a number of years. George Q. Erskine succeeded 
Mr. Baker as president with K. D. Chase as vice 
presidcut and in 1883 the capital stock was doubled. 
In 1895 Jerome W. Wheeler became cashier of the 
bank and has continued to be prominently identified 
with the administrations of its affairs and in 1905 was 
made president. The capital stock was reduced from 
$100,000 to $75,000, which is the present capital, with 
a surplus of .$50,000 and deposits exceeding one mil- 
lion dollars. It is an institution whose substantial 
prosperity has been founded upon capable manage- 
ment and the natural resources of the country and has 
advanced steadily with the latter 's growth and devel- 
opment. The present directors are-. J. W. "Wheeler, 
Edmund M. Walsh, John R. ]\IcKinnon, Samuel A. 
Wallace, Ole 0. Christianson, Harry L. Marsh and 
Sam A. Erickson. Mr. Wheeler continues as presi- 
dent and Edmund M. Walsh, vice president, Harry 
L. Marsh, vice president. C. F. Mix holds the office 
of cashier with Sam A. Erickson as assistant cashier. 

POLK COUNTY STATE BANK. 

The Polk County State Bank, of Crookston, is one 
of the leading banking institutions of the county and 
since its first business transactions on September 2, 
1913, has met with unusual success and wide favor 
among the depositors of the county and in the finan- 
cial world. The bank was organized August 27, 1913, 
with a capital stock of $40,000 and a surplus of 
$10,000. Peter M. Ringdal was elected president, L. 
W. Larson, vice president, G. 0. Hage, cashier, and 
these officers with G. A. Anbal and Henry O'Neil 
formed the board of directors. These men continue 
to direct the affairs of the bank which under their 
capable management has rapidly won its way to a 
substantial and prominent position in the banking 
circles of northern Minnesota. 

SCANDIA AMERICAN BANK, CROOKSTON. 

This bank was organized in the summer and fall of 
1887, and opened its doors for business on the first 
day of December, 1887, at the corner of Robert and 



Main Streets, in what was then the new McKinnon 
Block, with the following officers: Carl Hendrick- 
son, of Grafton, North Dakota, president ; G. M. Bar- 
ber, of Crookston, vice president; A. G. Gallasch, of 
Crookston, cashier, and L. Ellington, of Crookston, 
assistant cashier. The paid in capital of the bank was 
$40,000. 

The bank continued in busness at this location until 
about three years ago when it purchased the building 
upon the opposite corner and remodeled the same and 
moved into it, where it has since continued business. 

The personnel of the Board of Directors and of the 
officers changed but slightly for several years. The 
only one of the original officers who now has any con- 
nection with the bank is Mr. L. Ellington who has 
always been connected with the bank in some official 
capacity from its organization to the present time. 
Carl Hendrickson, the original president, continued 
with the bank until the year 1904. At this time a 
controlling interest in the bank was purchased by the 
firm of Miller & Foote, at which time Mr. J. P. Foote 
became president of the bank and Mr. Ellington 
cashier. 

Under the new arrangement the bank was conducted 
for six years at which time Messrs. Miller & Foote 
sold their stock to Mr. L. Ellington who thereupon 
became president of the bank, with II. D. Reed, now 
of Comfrey, Minnesota, as cashier. 

In February, 1913, Miller & Foote again purchased 
a controlling interest in the stock and the official 
board was reorganized with J. P. Foote as president, 
H. Steenerson, vice president; C. C. Strander, vice 
president; Oscar Fredericks, cashier; George F. Van 
Pelt and H. H. Clapp, assistant cashiers, which or- 
ganization continues at the present time. 

The business of the bank has steadily grown from 
the time of its organization until the present time. 
The statement of its resources and liabilities as re- 
turned to the Superintendent of Banks on November 
10, 1915, is as follows : 



COMPENDIUM OP HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



133 



RESOURCES. 

Loans and discounts $534,205.23 

Overdrafts 905.40 

Bonds and securities 4,000.00 

Banking house 15,000.00 

Furniture and fixtures 9,055.20 

Other real estate 34,450.90 

Cash and due from banks 205,765.07 



$803,381.80 



LIABILITIES. 



Capital stock $ 50,000.00 

Surplus 10,000.00 

Undivided profits 4,238.17 

Deposits 739,143.63 



$803,381.80 



The present Board of Directors is as follows : J. P. 
Foote, president; A. A. Miller, attorney; H. Holte, 
physician and surgeon ; L. Ellington, city clerk ; 
Charles Loring, attorney; C. C. Strander, president 
Strander Abstract & Investment Co. ; J. H. Ruettell, 
president Ruettell Clothing Co. ; H. Steenerson, mem- 
ber of Congress; R. C. Ruettell, manager Ruettell 
Clothing Co. 

FIRST STATE BANK OF FERTILE. 

Tlie First State Bank of Fertile was the first bank 
establi.shed in that locality and has ever furnished the 
sound financial backing and co-operation which has 
so materially advanced the growth of Fertile and the 
surrounding territory to one of the most progressive 
and prosperous centers in Polk County. It was or- 
ganized in 1887, the first year of Fertile 's existence, 
as a private bank, owned by W. H. Matthews, E. L. 
Matthews and Frank P. S. Miller, who comprised the 
firm of Matthews & Company, and Norman Hanson. 
Re-organization as a State bank was eflPeeted in 1892 
and the capitalization increased from $10,000 to $25,- 
000, with W. H. Matthews, president, Otto Kankel, 
vice president and Mr. Hanson continued in the posi- 
tion of cashier, which office he had held from the 
initial movement of organization. After nine .years' 
operations under this incorporation, the bank was 
changed to the First National and six years later, in 



1907, again became a state bank and has since con- 
tinued as the First State Bank of Fertile. No change 
in the capital was made and a surplus of $7,500 was 
set aside. The same officers remained in charge until 
1912 when Norman Hanson, after twenty-five years' 
able service as cashier, became president and the for- 
mer president, W. H. Matthews, who is now a resi- 
dent of Spokane, Wash., was made vice president. Two 
years later Mr. Hanson bought out the interests of 
Matthews & Company and secured controlling interest, 
owning one hundred and fifty-eight of the two hun- 
dred and fifty shares of bank stock. All the stock is 
owned by local shareholdei's. In June, 1915, the pros- 
perous conditions of that section advanced the com- 
bined deposits of the three banks of Fertile to $650,- 
000, an increase of $60,000 in three months and 
$25,000 of that amount was placed with the First 
State Bank. The bank operates with a cash reserve 
fund of $30,000 and has loans of $240,000. The 
officers are Norman Hanson, president ; Brown Duck- 
stad, vice president; and Elmer B. Hanson, cashier, 
and these with C. F. Kankel, Nels Vasenden, Odd Eide 
and George Kronschnabel comprise the board of di- 
rectors. The bank was housed for twenty years in 
the two-story brick building which had replaced the 
original frame structure in 1894, but in 1914 was 
moved into its present sumptuous quarters in the 
splendidly equipped building erected for its use. This 
is furaished with every thought for the convenience of 
patrons and the facility of banking operations, be- 
sides appealing, in its inch appointments, to the ad- 
mirer of architectural considerations. 

Statement of the condition of First State Bank of 
Fertile at the close of business December 31, 1915 : 

RESOURCES. 

Loans $213,467.92 

Bonds, etc 8,235.57 

Banking house 7,500.00 

Furniture and fixtures 3,500.00 

Overdrafts 166.44 

Cash and due from banks 84,827.16 



Total $317,697.09 



134 COMPENDIUM OP HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 

LIABILITIES. former of Climax, Polk County. The bauk was started 

Capital $ 25,000.00 as a private institution with a capital of $10,000 and 

Surplus, earned 5,000.00 oi „ m, i • nr m 

Undivided profits 5;848.57 ^^''' Thompson as cashier. Mr. Thompson gave way 

(Now, Jan. 26, $7,500.00) iu August, 1908, to T. E. Johnson, who has served as 

Deposits 281,848.52 cashier of the bank ever since. Other banks belong- 

Xotal $317 697 09 ^"^ to Messrs. Rosholt and Larson are located at Hal- 

sted. Climax and Neilsville. 
Directors: Norman Hanson, B. Duckstad, Nels The banking house used by the bank was erected 

Vasenden, C. F. Kankel, Geo. Kronschnabel, Odd jq 1908. Deposits in the institution now (1916) ag- 

Eide, E. B. Hanson. gregate $86,000. Its loans total $85,000, and its sur- 
plus is $2,500. These sums are steadilv increasing and 

FIRST STATE BANK OF EAST GRAND FORKS. ,. . 

dividends are paid regularly and promptly by the 

The First State Bank of East Grand Forks is one bank, which is one of the progressive and enterprising 

of the most aggressive and efficient financial institu- ones of its rank in this part of the country, and is 

tions in Polk County and thoroughly identified with continuously strengthening its resources, augmenting 

the development of the resources of the region and the its business in volume and intensifying its hold on the 

prosperity of the community. This bank was organ- confidence and regard of the public throughout the 

ized in 1906 by N. J. Nelson, who has since directed territory subject to its operations. 

its affairs as cashier, with a policv which extends most rp. u 1 i, 4. 1 i •*! ^ -i. 

' ^ * The bank has not, however, been without its expen- 

liberal acconnnodations to local enterprise, which with ^^^^^ j,^ ^^.^^,^j^ 0,^ 0^^^^^^. 33, if,n, its safe was 

well known financial responsibility has won the con- dynamited and robbed of $1,400, but the loss was fully 

fidence of its patrons and a wide popularity. The j v • m, 4. 4.1, 1 j « 4.1 

' 1- r- .' covered by insurance. The men at the head of the 

bank is capitalized at $25,000 with a surplus and un- , , j n/r t 1 ^1 1 ■ *. 

' ' ' bank and Mr. Johnson, the cashier, are enterprising 

divided profits of $12,000 and its deposits are ap- , • 1 • * i ■ i 1 1 j 

_ ' ^ ^ and progressive business men 01 high rank and demon- 

proaehiug the half million mark. The men associated . ^ , i-i-^ i *i • v 4-*i xi, • * n 

'^ ° strafed ability, and their merit entitles them in full 

with its management as officers are C. J. Loggren, pres- ^ .1 \ ■ .11 o 

°° > ^ measure to the business success they have won tor 

ident ; Frank J. Zeidlik and H. A. Bronson, vice pres- ^1 • • *•* *■ t*. • j ^ .. u 1 

■' ' f their institution. It was reorganized as a state bank 

idents; N. J. Nelson, cashier and Paul Johnson, as- ^^^^^ -^^ ^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^ 
sistant cashier. The board of directors comprise the 

first four named above with J. W. Wheeler, C. M. the state bank of erskine. 

Sprague and F. W. Sprague. The bank is located in 

a fine building equipped with every modern facility ^^^^^ ^^^^ ^'^^^ institution has been one of the 
for efficient banking and which stands as a credit to financial bulwarks and sources of strength and con- 
civic pride as well as to the enterprise of the bank ^'enience to the village of Erskine and the several 
directors. townships of Polk County lying around it. The bank 

was organized and started on its useful and prosperous 

state bank t)F ELDRED. • ii 4. 1 TT 1 c. TJ- T HT 1 

career in that year by Halvor Sfeenerson, H. L. Mel- 

This sound and flourishing financial institution, gaard, Carl Hendrickson, and Louis Ellington, and 

which was the first regularly organized banking house A. F. Cronquist was chosen cashier. It was a private 

in the town of Eldred, this county, was founded on institution until 1903, when it was incorporated as 

February 29, 1908, by Messrs. Rosholt & Larson, the a state bank under its present name with a capital 

latter of whom is now a resident of Ilalsted and the stock of $10,000, Louis Ellington as president, Halvor 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTOKY AND BIOGEAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



Steenerson as vice president and A. F. Cronquist as 
cashier. 

The history of the bank wa^the same as that of 
many similar institutions — a stea9y^growth of busi- 
ness, an increasing hold on public confidence and re- 
gard, and a firm standing in financial and banking 
circles — until December, 1912, when some forty-six 
merchants and farmers bought it. The surplus at 
that time amounted to $3,000 and the deposits to 
$140,000. Under its new ownership A. D. Stephens 
was chosen president, Gilbert K. Espeseth vice presi- 
dent and Theodore Nelson cashier. He had been the 
assistant cashier of the bank for ten years. The other 
directors are John Clementson, A. J. Haugen and 0. T. 
Rovang, all farmers living near Erskine. Mr. Stephens 
has since been succeeded as president by G. K. Es- 
peseth and T. K. Berg chosen vice president, but none 
of the other officials have been changed since the pur- 
chase was made. 

The surplus of the bank at the time of this writing 
(October, 1915) is increased to $5,000, and the de- 
posits have increased to $210,000. In 1903 the fine 
modern building in which the bank now conducts its 
business was erected. The bank makes loans, does 
insurance and carries on all other departments of 
banking according to the most approved present-day 
methods, and is one of the soundest and best managed 
institutions of its rank in the Northwest. 

FARMERS STATE BANK OF VflNGER. 

This popular financial institution, which is render- 
ing great and appreciated service to the community, 
was founded September 1, 1904, as the First State 
Bank of "Winger, with a capital stock of $10,000, A. N. 
Eckman as president and Gilbert Bratland as cashier. 

In 1908 Messrs. Simons & Bourdon became the own- 
ers but continued under the old name and with only 
minor changes in its management until May, 1912, 
L. C. Simons being the president, Chas. N. Bourdon, 
vice president, and Edward Randklev, cashier. 

May 27, 1912, the bank was purchased by local men, 
some fifty-five of them, nearly all farmers, becoming 



stockholders. They elected J. 0. Hovland president, 
H. A. Loitten vice president, and A. I. Solberg cashier, 
and in December following the name was changed to 
the Farmers State Bank of Winger, the capital stock 
being increased to $12,500. At that time the bank had 
a surplus of $2,500 and deposits amounting to $50,000. 
At the present time (1915) the officers and the capital 
stock are the same as in 1912, the surplus is $3,500 and 
the deposits are $150,000. Loans and discounts 
amount to $140,000. The bank building was erected 
in 1905. 

FIRST STATE BANK OP MENTOR. 

The First State Bank of Mentor was established in 
1901, as a private bank, by A. D. Stephens and Joseph 
Tagley and operated as such until 1908, when it was 
incorporated as the First State Bank of Mentor, with 
a capital of $10,000. The president, A. D. Stephens, 
Joseph Tagley as cashier, M. Tagley, vice president, 
and Nels Paulsberg, assistant cashier, the first three 
comprise the board of directors and are the owners 
of the stock. Mr. Tagley, in the capacity of cashier, 
has directed the management of the bank in its pros- 
perous activities as the financial center of business 
enterprise in Mentor. The present capitalization of 
the bank is the original amount, with a surplus of 
$2,000 and deposits of about ninety thousand dollars. 
Aside from general banking interests, the State Bank 
maintains a real estate agency and deals in insurance. 
The brick structure which it occupies was erected in 
1901 and is equipped with modern banking facilities. 

CITIZENS STATE BANK OP FERTILE. 

The Citizens State Bank of Fertile, one of the most 
prosperous banking institutions of northwestern Min- 
nesota, was organized on December 7, 1904, as the 
successor of the Citizens National Bank, which, in turn 
had succeeded the Citizens Bank in 1901. The latter 
corporation had been effected in 1897 by Lewis Lar- 
son, of Britt, Iowa, M. B. Dahlquist, and B. E. Dahl- 
quist of Forest City, Iowa, Louis Ellington, of Crooks- 
ton and M. J. Pihl, of "Wells, Minn., and these men 



136 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



continued tlieir association with the institution upon 
its reorganization into a National bank, merging their 
interests with several others. The Citizens National 
was incorporated with a capital of $25,000 and Lewis 
Larson became president of the board of directors, 
Mr. Ellington and Mr. Pihl, vice presidents and Mr. 
M. B. Dahlquist, cashier, and B. E. Dahlquist assist- 
ant cashier. In 1901 K. J. Taralseth and 0. H. Taral- 
scth, of Warren, Minn., Mr. Ellington, and Ed Mosse- 
fin and A. P. Hanson, of Fertile, took over all the 
assets and the l)uilding of the Citizens National and 
organized the Citizens State Bank, with a capital of 
$15,000. The able direction of its affairs, which has 
resulted in unusual benefit to the stockholders and 
a wide popularity in financial circles, has been under 
the management of Jlr. Mossefin and Mr. Hanson, as 
resident stockholders and officers. Mr. Mossefin be- 
came president of the bank in 1911 and Mr. Hanson 
has served as cashier from the start. 0. II. Taralseth 
is the present vice president. The bank's interests are 
housed in a fine modern brick building of two stories, 
which was erected in 1901 and is splendidly furnished 
with all modern conveniences, including reinforced 
concrete vaults and safety deposit boxes for individual 
use. The second floor is utilized for office room. The 
bank engages in general banking business, making 
loans on real estate and also are writers for several 
lines of fire and cyclone insurance. The substantial 
condition of its affairs appears in the recent statement 
is-sued of a surplus and undivided profits of $9,000 
and deposits of $180,000. 

FARMERS STATE BANK OF FERTILE. 

The Farmers State Bank of Fertile was organized 
September 6, 1912, through the co-operation of a num- 
ber of prominent business men and farmers and has 
enjoyed a steady prosperity in all its activities, con- 
tributing notably to the accommodations afforded by 
the splendid financial institutions of Polk County. 
The men who were associated in the establishment of 
the bank and who composed the first board of direct- 
ors were James F. Hanson, Martin G. Peterson, An- 



ders 0. Morvig, Ole H. Vidden, Nels Clementsen, 
Albert 0. Gullickson, E. G. 0. Hoglund, A. L. Hov- 
land and Hans Paulsrud. The latter, who had been 
the assistant cashier in the First State Bank for a 
number of years, was made cashier of the new bank 
and in that position has continued to capably direct 
its affairs. The bank was incorporated with a capital 
of $25,000, with James F. Hanson as president and 
Nels Clementsen, vice president. In 1913 the present 
fine modern banking building was erected and excel- 
l(>nt fixtures installed, making it a worthy addition to 
the busiues-s district of Fertile. The stock in this 
corporation is owned by the above-mentioned direct- 
ors, which is the present executive body with the 
exception of Andrew Hoffe who has been elected in 
place of E. G. Ilogluud and Andrew Peterson, in 
place of James F. Hanson, and some ninetj' share- 
holders, most of whom are local farmei-a. Nels 
Clementsen has succeeded Mr. Hanson as president 
and Albert 0. Gullickson is vice president, with Mr. 
Paulsrud retaining his position as cashier, with Ole 
Lutnes as assistant. The latest statement issued by the 
bank reports a surplus of $5,000, with the original 
capital of $25,000, deposits aggregating $2.'^2,000 and 
loans of .$210,000. 

FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF EAST GRAND FORKS. 

The First National Bank of East Grand Forks, an 
important banking house of which Polk County is 
justly proud, has been materially identified in all its 
activities with home industries and development, its 
record of noteworthy prosperity having advanced 
steadily with the growth of the country. It was or- 
ganized in 1890 as the Bank of East Grand Forks 
with a capital of $25,000 and its first officers were 
William Busge, president; Alex Griggs, vice presi- 
dent; and E. R. Jacobi, cashier. In the following year 
reorganization into a national bank was effected and 
the capital stock doubled. Alex Griggs was made pres- 
ident of the board of directors, E. R. Jacobi, vice 
president, and W. H. Pringle, cashier. The other 
members of the board were Ole Lukkason, C. Madson, 



COMPENDIUM OP HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



137 



B. A. Griggs, Paul Hagen and Robert Jarvis. The 
excellently equipped and modern banking building 
which houses its interests was erected in 1893 at the 
cost of $15,000 and aside from the commodious quar- 
ters provided the bank, furnishes office space in the 
basement and second story. The present board of 
directors was elected in 1905, with E. Arneson as pres- 
ident, J. R. Johnson, vice president, and G. R. Jacobi, 
cashier and the other members, J. H. McNicol and 
August Nelson. The stockholders of this institution 
include many of the influential citizens of East Grand 
Forks, men whose successful careers have been identi- 
fied with the interests of the community and its policy 
of administration has always rendered it a strong 
financial support to local enterprise. During the 
twenty-three years of its operations this bank has not 
foreclosed a mortgage and pays four per cent interest 
on savings deposits, a record which is loyally rewarded 
by the extensive patronage extended it by the farmers 
and business men of the district and which is one of 
the ways in which its management has demonstrated 
its keen interest in the development of the farming 
community tributary to East Grand Forks. The First 
National is a member of the Federal Reserve Banks 
and is allied with the important banking activities of 
the country, selling drafts payable in all the principal 
cities of the world. Its present substantial standing 
is attested to with deposits of some three hundred and 
fifty thousand dollars and surplus of $10,000. 

Condensed report of the condition of the First 
National Bank, East Grand Forks, Minnesota, at close 
of business, November 10, 1915 : 

RESOURCES. 

Loans $303,419.89 

Overdrafts 2,219.68 

U. S. Bonds 37,500.00 

Stock, Federal Reserve Bank 1,800.00 

Real estate 24,800.00 

Banking house 14,500.00 

Redemption fund 1,875.00 

Cash 149!602.87 



LIABILITIES. 



Capital $ 50,000.00 

Surplus and profits 10,906.36 

Circulation 37,500.00 

Deposits 437,311.08 



Total $535,717.44 



Total $535,717.44 

They pay 4 per cent on savings, 4 per cent for six 
months and 5 per cent for twelve months on time cer- 
tificates. E. Arneson, president; J. R. Johnson, vice 
president ; G. R. Jacobi, cashier. 

STATE BANK OP FISHER. 

The State Bank of Fisher is one of the pioneer 
banking institutions of that region and has been iden- 
tified for many years with the prosperity and the 
more substantial progress in Polk County, the history 
of its activities being marked with notable success and 
able management and a large and steadily increasing 
patronage among the citizens of that district. The 
bank was first organized as a private bank, in 1879, 
by Hugh Thompson and Frank DeMers. Subse- 
quently Marcus Johnson bought out the interests of 
the other stockholders and he has continued to main- 
tain a prominent and active interest in the bank. In 
1896 after the unfortunate death of the cashier, Mar- 
tin Sanaker, by suicide, the bank was reorganized as 
a State bank, with a capital of $10,000. Gunder Kros- 
tue was made president and Marcus Johnson and S. 
Torrison were the stockholders and directors. The 
first cashier of the new state bank was Ed Kingsland, 
who served in that capacity until his removal west, 
when he was succeeded by Andrew 0. Stortroen, the 
present occupant of the position, who is also a stock- 
holder and a member of the board of directors. Upon 
the death of Mr. Krostue in 1912, Marcus Johnson 
succeeded to the office of president and has since 
capably directed the administration of its affairs, 
which include the many interests accruing to the $200,- 
000 of deposits and loans of some one hundred and 
fifty thousand dollars. The bank occupies the build- 
ing which was erected for its use in 1879. 



138 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



FARMERS MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY. 

The Farmers Mutual Insurauee Company, with 
office at Fertile, is one of the co-operative enterprises 
of this section which attests to the enterprise of its 
citizens and has proved of benefit to local interests. 
The company has met with an extensive patronage 
in Polk and Norman Counties, the territory cov- 
ered by its operations, and has over nine hundred 
policy holders with $1,677,629 insurance in force. 
Through the disinterested service of the men who 
have been identified with the organization as officers, 
the expense of operation has always been small, a 
fact which has contributed to the rapid growth and 
prosperity of the company. It was incorporated in 
1891 by 0. P. Renne, Hans Juelsou, T. II. Nesseth and 
Martin G. Peterson. The articles of incorporation 
were drafted by Mr. Peterson, who has been active 
in the direction of company 's affairs as treasurer and 
secretary. 

FIRST. STATE BANK OF BELTRAMI. 

The First State Bank of Beltrami, one of the most 
substantial banking houses in the county, was organ- 
ized in 1905, as the successor of the Bank of Beltrami, 
a private bank which had been in operation since 
1901, when it was established by William Mathews, 
with D. E. Fulton as cashier. In 1903 C. C. Heath 
and H. H. Reed became the owners and continued for 
two years when it was organized as a State bank with 
a capital of $10,000. J. W. Wheeler, president ; E. M. 
Walsh, vice president ; and C. C. Heath, cashier, com- 
posed the first board of directors, which was replaced 
in 1914 by the present board, with J. W. Wheeler as 
president, C. C. Heath, first vice president, E. M. 
Walsh, second vice president, and T. 0. Hafdahl, cash- 



ier, with II. A. Wilson as assistant. This bank ranks 
high among the financial institutions of northern Min- 
nesota and handles an important share of Polk County 
business. It occupies one of the most handsome and 
finely appointed country bank buildings in the county, 
a brick structure, equipped with modern banking con- 
veniences, with time-locked vaults and safes, which 
was erected in 1914 at an expenditure of $10,000. The 
bank receives deposits amounting to $160,000 and car- 
ries a surplus of $5,000 and undivided profits, $4,000. 
The man most thorougldy identified with prosperous 
transactions of this institution is C. C. Heath, who 
has directed its management as owner, cashier and 
vice president during the last twelve years. Mr. 
Heath came to Beltrami in 1903, when he became an 
owner of the bank and is widely known in financial 
circles through the eminent success of his able and 
enterprising career and enjoys the respect and confi- 
dence of his associates, who are among the leading 
financiers of northern Minnesota. Mr. Heath is that 
tj'pe of aggressive and broad-minded citizen, whose 
influence and efiforts extend beyond his private inter- 
ests to the public progress and the prosperity of the 
commonwealth. Another flourishing enterprise of ex- 
tensive operations with which he is prominently asso- 
ciated as organizer, president and manager is the 
Heath Investment Company, a corporation organized 
in 1914, with a capitalization of $50,000, which en- 
gages in the buying and selling of real estate and com- 
mercial interests and owns and operates some three 
thousand acres of farm land near Beltrami. J. W. 
Wheeler and E. M. Walsh are associated with him in 
this successful activity also, Mr. Wheeler being vice 
president and Mr. Walsh, secretary. Mr. Heath is a 
native of Delaware County, Indiana. 



BIOGRAPHICAL DEPARTMENT 



HON. WILLIAM WATTS. 



The subject of this sketch has been judge of the 
District Court for the last seventeen years, having 
been elected to that position in 1898 and twice since 
that time without opposition. He ranks among tlie 
ablest of the district judges in Minnesota. Before 
becoming judge he was county attorney of Polk 
county, city attorney of Crookston, a member of its 
city council twelve years, member of the school boai-d 
and referee in bankruptcy. He was born June 9, 
1850, in Stanley, Huron county, Ontario. His father 
■was Matthew Watts, a native of Yorkshire, England, 
who came to Canada in 1842 and his mother, Hannah 
(Simpson) Watts of Cumberlandshire, England, who 
came in 1832 at the age of six years. They settled 
in the backwoods near the shore of Lake Huron in 
1848, enduring the hardships of pioneers who make 
farms from heavily timbered lands with their own 
hands, and there they are buried, the father dying in 
1854 at the age of thirty-four years and his wife in 
1912 at the age of eighty-six. 

Judge Watts received his education in the common 



schools and worked at farming, lumbering and teach- 
ing school in Ontario, Michigan, Wisconsin and Min- 
nesota until 1875 when he entered the law department 
of the University of Michigan, graduating therefrom 
in 1877 with the degree of bachelor of laws, and was 
admitted to the bar of Michigan. He came to Crooks- 
ton in January, 1878, and has lived there contin- 
uously since that time, making him the first lawyer 
now living to locate in what is now the Fourteenth 
Judicial District of Minnesota. He soon became a 
good trial lawyer and had a fair share of the law 
business of the region tributary to Crookston while 
at the bar and has also done considerable farming in 
the Red River valley. 

Judge Watts was united in marriage with Edith E. 
Webb whose father. Rice Webb was one of the pio- 
neers of Polk county and who is a descendant of 
John Alden and Priscilla, immortalized in the verse 
of Longfellow. They have four children, William 
A., lawyer, residing at Duluth, and Mai*y Ella, Anna 
M. and Matthew S., at home. 



HUGH THOMPSON. 



Hugh Thompson, of East Grand Porks, an eminent 
citizen of Polk county, is widely known as a pioneer, 
whose career has been significantly associated witli 
the development of the various important interests of 
northern Minnesota. He was born in Huntington 
county, Canada, July 4, 1850, the son of John L. 
Thompson, a well known farmer of that region, who 
continued to reside in Huntington county until his 
death. His son, Hugh Thompson, spent his early 
youth on the Canadian homestead and came to this 
country when sixteen years of age, securing a posi- 
tion as a clerk in a store owned by his brothers, at St. 



Croix Palls, Wisconsin. Two years later he left St. 
Croix for Menominee, where he engaged in similar 
employment. In 1873 he came to Crookston, then in 
the earliest days of its settlement and has since been 
actively identified with growth and progress of Polk 
county. Por a few years he was employed in the 
store operated by W. D. Bailey but in October, 1875, 
he embarked upon his independent commercial career, 
opening a general store at Pisher's Landing. This 
proved a successful venture and in 1879 he extended 
his activities to the milling business, erecting a flour- 
ing mill which was destroyed by fire some three years 



141 



U2 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



later. In 1879 Mr. Thompson organized the Fisher 
bank as a private banking house and as president, 
capably directed its affairs during the first years of 
its operations. This bank became a State bank in 
1896 and is one of the mast substantial and pros- 
perous financial institutions of the county. In 1885 
I\Ir. Thompson became associated in his various busi- 
ness interests with Marcus Johnson, buying the mer- 
cantile business owned by Andrew D. Stephens and 
erecting a flour mill which they operated for nine 
years when it was merged with the North Dakota 
Milling Association, of which Mr. Thompson became 
president. This corporation had extensive milling 
interests in North Dakota and Minnesota and Mr. 
Thompson remained at the head of its Ijoard of di- 
rectors for se\eral years. During these busy years 
of commercial enterprise, he found time for active 
co-operation in public affaire and gave his services 
in public offices, as county commissioner, and was 
the first postmaster appointed at Fisher. In 1891 he 
was appointed registrar of the United States land 
office at Crookston and during the four years of his 
incumbency of that position, resided in Crookston. 
He removed to East Grand Porks in 1896 and since 
that time has given his attention largely to the direct 
service of public interests in the various official posi- 



tions to which the confidence and regard of his fellow 
citizens have called him. Aside from the local offices 
which he lias held, Mr. Thompson was also an able 
member of the State board of Equalization for ten 
years, being first appointed to the board in 1882. He 
has been prominently identified with civic affairs as 
mayor and president of the town council and for 
four years was county commissioner from the fiftli 
district. As a pioneer citizen, merchant axid banker, 
his career has been notably marked with that intelli- 
gent and constructive citizenship which lays the foun- 
dation for the steady prosperity and rapid develop- 
ment of all commercial and social activity. Mr. 
Thompson has been twice married, his first union 
was with Luella May Thompson in 1875. She was 
born in St. Paul and was a teacher in the first school 
of Polk county, at Crookston. Three cliildren were 
born to them, two of whom died in infancy. The 
death of the mother occurred at Fisher in 1888 and 
she was survived by one daughter, Luella M., who is 
the v\-ife of Bert TowTisend. Mr. Thompson's mar- 
riage to Lees McMaster, a native of Olmstead county, 
ilinnesota, and a teacher in the Fisher schools at 
the time of her marriage was solemnized in 1891 and 
they have two children, Charlotte H. and June. 



REVEREND J. B. A. DALE. 



Reverend J. B. A. Dale, pastor of the United Lu- 
theran church at Mcintosh, was born at Avue Bergen, 
Stiff, Norway, Jiine 29, 1854. He remained in his 
native land i;ntil his seventeenth year, coming to the 
United States in Jime, 1871. For several months he 
made his home in Columbus, Wisconsin, and then lo- 
cated in Chicago, where he spent three years and then 
returned to Wisconsin, living for a time in Eau Claire. 
Being ambitious to secure an education and prepare 
himself for the ministry, in the fall of 1875 he went 
to Minneapolis and enrolled in tlie Augsburg Semi- 
nary. He completed a four years ' course of study in 
that institution, meanwhile working during the vaca- 



tion mouths and finding further employment as a 
teacher in parochial schools. He then attended the Nor- 
mal school at AYinona, ]\Iinnesota, during one winter 
and subsecjuently entered the University at Columbus, 
Ohio. In 1882 he became a student in the Red Wing 
Seminary and completed his studies in the following 
two years, receiving his degree in June, 1884. He was 
ordained in Lee county, Illinois, and his first pastorate 
was in Newman Grove, Nebraska, remaining with that 
congregation for some fourteen years. On leaving he 
came to Minnesota to accept the charge at Twin Val- 
ley in Norman county, where he sei'ved for six yeare. 
In July, 1904, he removed to Mcintosh, as pastor 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



143 



of the United Lutheran church, with eight churches 
iu Polk comity in his circuit, wliieh has since been 
divided into two pastorates, ilr. Dale has devoted 
his life to his ministei'ial labors and enjoys the high 
regard of his many warm friends through his faithful 
service during the many years spent as a leader iu 
religious interests. He was married at Roland, Iowa, 
in July, 1882, to Julia Olson, who was born at Leland, 
Illinois, November 23, 1865. Fourteen children were 



born to this union, twelve of whom are living. Mar- 
celius A. Dale died at Mcintosh, in his twentieth 
year and the death of Melviu Dale occurred when 
he was fourteen years of age. The sui-viving children 
are, Jeanette, who married E. G. Schlanbusch ; Cas- 
par, Erwin, Christina, the wife of Reverend A. B. 
Hinderlie, Clara, Elnora, Andora, Ingeborg, Bea- 
trice, Marcellus, Marguerite and Jens. 



WILLIAM J. RASMUSSEN. 



William J. Rasmussen, municipal judge at East 
Grand Porks and one of the leading membere of the 
Polk county bar, was bom in Duck Creek township, 
Taylor county, Wisconsin, June 22, 1885, the son of 
Jacob and Caroline (Olson) Rasmussen, who were 
natives of Norway. Jacob Rasmussen continues to 
make his home at Phillips, Wisconsin, where the 
death of his wife occurred in her sixty-ninth year. 
William Rasmussen spent his youth in Phillips and 
there received his early education, later entering the 
University of Wisconsin. Subsequently he matricu- 
lated in the state university of Minnesota and there 
prepared himself for his professional career, grad- 
uating from the law school of that institution in 1909. 



He immediately engaged in the practice of law in 
East Grand Forks and rapidly won recognition 83 
one of the able young attorneys of that section. In 
1911 he was elected municipal judge and has since 
given most efficient and zealous service in discharg- 
ing the responsibilities of his position. As public 
official or private citizen, Mr. Rasmussen is that type 
of broad minded and progressive citizen, whose in- 
fluence is felt in every phase of community develop- 
ment. His political affiliations are with the Republi- 
can party. In fraternal orders, he is a well known 
member of the Masonic fraternity and a Knight 
Templar. 



JOHN J. VAATVEIT. 



John J. Vaatveit, a prominent merchant of Mcin- 
tosh and well known citizen of King township, is a 
native of Norway, born in Village of Vass, on August 
13, 1856. He was reared on a pioneer farm home in 
Dodge county, Minnesota, the family emigrating to the 
United States in spring of 1857, and spent his early 
manhood in Dodge county. In 1856 he went to Grand 
Forks, North Dakota, and began his career in the com- 
mercial world as a clerk in a general store. After 
spending seven years in that employment, he made his 
first independent venture in the mercantile business 
and for five years continued his successful operations, 
establishing a store at Northland, North Dakota, and 



was appointed the first postmaster at that place. la 
1895 he sold his interests, resigned from the office of 
postmaster and transferred his attention to farming, 
removing to Polk county and buying a quarter section 
of land in King township, where he engaged in agri- 
cultural pursuits for some twelve years. In 1907 he 
resumed his commercial activities, opening a general 
store at Mcintosh, where he has since conducted a 
prosperous and steadily growing trade. During the 
many years of his residence in King township, Mr. 
Vaatveit has won the respect and confidence of all 
his associates through his ability as a business man 
and his public spirited citizenship. He has been 



144 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



prominently associate with township affairs and has 
capably discharged the duties of various public offices, 
as chainnan and member of the township board, a 
member of the school board of Mcintosh and in sev- 
eral minor offices. He has been further identified 
with public interests as the president of the Farmers 
Mutual Insurance Company, serving for a term of 



nine years. He was married in Dodge county, Minne- 
sota, to Martha Alrick, who is a native of Norway and 
they have reared a family of four children, Eng\-old, 
George, ilinnie, who is the wife of Oliver Henson, 
and Mabel. Mr. Vaatveit and his family are faithful 
supporters of the Synod Lutheran church and ;ire 
actively identified with all its interests. 



EMIL JORGENSON. 



Emil Jorgenson, of Mcintosh, local agent for the 
St. Anthony and Dakota Lumber Company, is a na- 
tive of Polk county, born in Knute township, June 
15, 1885, the son of Marcus and Iledda Jorgenson, na- 
tives of Norwaj', who settled in Polk county in 1884; 
the father becoming a well known farmer of the 
county, where they continue to make their home. Emil 
Jorgenson was reared on the Knute township liome- 
stead and received his education in the country 
schools. He remained on the farm until he was twenty- 
two years of age and then entered upon his comnicr- 
cial career, his first activity being in the lumber busi- 



ness and with the exception of two yeai*s spent in the 
employment of a telephone companj^, has continued 
to devote his attention to the lumber interests, where 
his ability and successful experience have won him 
rapid promotion and wide recognition. In July, 1913, 
he located in Mcintosh, as the local manager for the 
St. Anthony & Dakota Lumber Co. ilr. Jorgenson 
is one of the progressive and enterprising business 
men and citizens of the town in which he lives and 
is actively interested in matters of public moment and 
in the promotion of the general welfare and growth. 
He is a member of the St. Johns Lutheran church. 



JACOB P. SOES. 



One of the leading merchants and the capable and 
popular postmaster of tlie village of Climax, this 
county, where he has lived and been well and favor- 
ably known by the people for many years, Jacob 
P. Soes is a very u.seful citizen and is universally 
esteemed in accordance with his demonstrated merits 
as a business man, public official and enterpribing 
and progressive citizen of public spirit and breadth 
of view. 

Mr. Soes is a native of Denmark, where he was 
lx)m Feb. 14, 1871, and where he lived until he 
reached the age of seventeen years. lie then emi- 
grated to the United States in May, 1888, and came 
direct to Crookston. During tlie first two years of 
his residence in this county he was employed at the 
Artesian "Water Works, selling the water all over 
Crookston. But he was frugal and thrifty, and had 



ambition for a higher sphere in life. So he saved 
his earnings and applied them in preparing himself 
for a business career. He attended the Crookston 
Business college nights, and when he had completed its 
couree of instruction he entered the employ of A. 
G. Anderson in the drug business. 

Mr. Soes remained Avith Mr. Anderson nine years, 
and during that period he pursued a course of thor- 
ough training at the School of Phannacy in Minne- 
apolis, thereby becoming a registered pharmacist and 
a complete master of his business. After leaving the 
employ of Mr. Anderson Mr. Soes made a visit of 
several months to his native land, and on his return 
to Minnesota in the fall of 1901 he located at Climax 
and engaged in the drug business, also serving as'as- 
sistiint postmaster under C. Steenerson for about 
twelve years. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



145 



At Christmas, 1914, he was appointed postmaster 
of Climax, and this office he has held ever since. He 
has also been president of the village and a justice of 
the peace for a year. In these positions of trust and 
responsibility he has been able to put into practical 
operation the deep and intelligent interest in the 
welfare of the community which he has always felt 
and shoAvn by active participation in every under- 



taking for the good of the people. He was married 
in Crookston in 1904 to Miss Emma Oieren, who is 
a native of Minnesota but of Norwegian parentage. 
They have two children, their daughters Myrtle and 
Evelyn. lu addition to his business and other hold- 
ings in Climax Mr. Soes owns 160 acres of land near 
the village of Erskine. 



GUNNER HUSBY. 



Gunner Husby, a retired farmer and well known 
citizen of King township, now residing at Mcintosh, 
was bom in Nor\\ay, April 13, 1852. He remained 
in his native land until thirty-one years of age, when 
he came to the United States and in the spring of 
1882 took a homestead claim on section eight of King 
township in Polk county. He immediately engaged 
in the developmeut of his land and devoted the efforts 
and interests of his successful farming career to this 
farm, building up one of the most prosperous prop- 
erties of the section. In 1914, after many years of 
business activity, he sold the homestead and has since 



made his home at Mcintosh. As one of the early set- 
tlers of the township he has been prominently iden- 
tified with public affairs and has taken an active 
interest in the promotion of the general welfare. He 
has capably discharged the duties of various local 
offices to which he has been elected and has served as 
a member of the school board and township board. 
Mr. Husby is a memljer of the St. Johns Luthei-an 
church. He was married in Norway, to Marit Haaven 
and they have seven children, Magnhild, Louis, Peter, 
John, Ingvar, Gertrude and Gottfried. 



ODD EIDE. 



During the last fourteen years this prominent and 
enterprising young business man of Polk eountj^ has 
been a resident of Fertile and actively engaged in 
helping to build up and improve the village and min- 
ister to the enduring welfare and comfort of its 
inhabitants. He is now only thirty-two years old, but 
he has alread.y established himself in the confidence 
and regard of the community around him as a good 
business man and a progressive, enterprising and pub- 
lic-spirited citizen with the welfare of the town al- 
ways foremost in his mind. 

Mr. Eide is a native of Nonvay, where his life 
began Feb. 16, 1883, and where he lived until 1899, 
when he came to the United States. In 1901 he 
located at Fertile and began his business career as a 
clerk for his uncle, Andrew Opheim, with whom he 



remained until death ended the uncle's labors on 
April 5, 1915. Mr. Opheim was one of Fertile 's hon- 
ored pioneers. He was born and reared in Norway 
and became a resident of the United States in 1871. 
In 1882 he located in Polk county and opened a drug 
store one mile east of Fertile, where he remained 
until 1887, then moved his store to Fertile, forming 
a partnei-ship in the drug trade and general mer- 
chandising with Dr. Arne Nelson, which lasted from 
1882 until 1893. When he died Mr. Opheim owned 
600 acres of land in Polk county, and throughout 
his residence here he took an earnest interest and 
an active part in pushing forward the growth and 
improvement of the county. 

Mr. Eide was appointed administrator of his uncle 's 
estate and succeeded him in the management of the 



146 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



store and the uncle's other business. He was mar- and is a daughter of the late Dr. Arne Nelson. They 
ried in East Grand Forks, Minnesota, Novenaber 30, have two tliildren, their son Kuute Arne and their 
1910. to Jliss Clara Nelson, who was born in Fertile daughter Anna Bessie. 



HARVEY CHASE MISNER. 



Harvey Chase Misner, pioneer business man of the 
state and for a number of yeare prominently identi- 
fied with the business interests of Crookston as vice 
president of the First National bank and president 
of the Wheeler-Misner Loan company, was a native 
of Wisconsin, Ijorn near Batavia. January 9, 18.34, 
the son of Ira P. and Arvilla (Chapin) Misner. The 
latter was a native of Michigan. His father, Ira P. 
Misner was born in Pennsylvania, went to Wisconsin 
in his early manlioi'd and there spent the many years 
of his active and useful career as a farmer and citizen. 
In 1861 he enlisted in a Wisconsin i-egiment and gave 
gallant service in defence of the Union throughout 
the four years of the great struggle and was thrice 
wounded. His death occurred in 1905, at Fond du 
Lac, Wisconsin. He was survived by the wife of his 
second marriage and three sons by his first wife. 
Harvey C. ;\Iisner was reared on the Wisconsin farm 
and attended the schools at Fond du Lac. After being 
employed for a time as clerk in a feed store, lie made 
his first independent business venture and engaged 
in the tea and coffee business in Fond du Lac. In 
1879 he came to Minnesota and located in Euclid 
where he opened a general store under the firm name 
of Misner & Lindsley. This business was later I'eor- 
ganized as E. Taylor & Company and was still later 
known as H. C. Misner & Company and was most 
successfully and profitably conducted by Mr. Misner 
for a number of years. In 1904 he removed to Crooks- 
ton and founded one of the important business organi- 
zations of the city, the Wheeler-^Misner Loan company 
and was actively identified with the substantial pros- 
perity of this corporation as secretary and treasurer 
and for the last two years of his life, as president, 
having been elected to that position in 1912. He was 
also prominentlj- associated with the financial inter- 



ests of the county as vice president and manager of 
the First National bank, one of the largest banking 
institutions in this section. From January, 1912, to 
January, 1914, he was extensively interested in farm 
lands and in the agricultural development of the 
northwest. After many j^ears of indefatigable effort 
and achievement but with a future bright with pros- 
pects of larger activities, failing health necessitated 
his witlulrawal from the business world. This was 
in January, 1914, and his death occurred on June 1 
of that year. He had a long and successful experi- 
ence in his chasen occupations and in every phase of 
his bus}' life demonstrated his peculiar adaptation 
to business and his sterling integrity as a progressive 
citizen, and enjoyed the esteem and confidence of all 
who knew him. Mr. Misner was married, June 15, 
1881, to Ida Jlay Taylor of Lyons, Iowa, who sur- 
vives him, retaining her residence in Crookston. She 
is the daughter of Alfred C. Taylor, one of the early 
settlers of Iowa, a wortliy pioneer citizen who gave 
his sen"ices to his country in the war of the rebellion, 
with an Iowa regiment. Three children were born to 
]\Ir. Misner and his wife, two of whom died in in- 
fancy. Harvey W. Jlisner, one of the leading young 
business men of Crookston, has succeeded to his 
father's interests in the firm of Wheeler & Misner. 
^Ir. ]Misuer was a faithful supporter of the princi- 
ples of the Republican party and took an active part 
in tlie direction of the political affairs of the state as 
a member of the county and state central committees. 
In fraternal orders he was widely known and was a 
prominent member of the Masonic order, a thirty- 
second degree JIason, a member of the Scottish and 
York Rites, and served in 1908 as the eminent 
commander of the Crookston conunandery. He was 
also an Elk and a charter member of the Modern 




^. £. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



147 



Woodmen of America. Although not a member of 
any religious organization, he was interested in the 
church and its purpose and gave his generous support 



and services as trustee and treasurer to the First 
Presbyterian church of Crookston. 



VICTOR H. HOGLUND. 



This enterprising, progressive and broad-minded 
business man of Fertile is engaged in several under- 
takings which minister to the service, enjoyment and 
improvement of the people of his home community 
and help to make life more tolerable and comfortable 
for them, as well as to add to their facilities for 
carrying on their several occupations and pursuing 
their chosen i)athways of advancement in business 
or social activity. 

Mr. Hoglund is a native and wholly a product of 
Polk county, having been born on his father's farm 
in Garfield township July 23, 1885, and having been 
reared on that farm and educated in the school in the 
neighborhood. He is a son of Eric and Christi'na 
(Johnson) Hoglund, natives of Sweden, and 
residents of this county for thirty-five years. 
The son remained at home with his parents and 
worked on the farm until he reached the age of twen- 
ty-one years. He then turned his attention to tele- 



phone work, in which he was employed for six years. 
At the end of that period he installed an electric light 
plant at Fertile, which he began operating March 15, 
1910. He erected the building in which the plant 
is located and he now has in the neighborhood of 100 
patrons, and the number is steadily increasing. 

For two years Mr. Hoglund was superintendent 
of the Gordon Valley Telephone company, and his 
expeidence in that position has been very valuable 
to him in his own business. He owns 160 acres of well 
improved land in Columbia township, and is also pro- 
prietor of the Picture theater at Fertile. Every 
branch of his business seems to be in direct line with 
his tastes and mental trend, and he is making the 
utmost of his opportunities in each, using every, 
gain in his progress as a step to something higher 
and more advanced, for he is enterprising and far- 
seeing, and knows his business thoroughly to date 
and is always studious of its further possibilities. 



ANTONE M. GAMME. 



Having come to this country at the age of twenty- 
two years with no capital but his resolute spirit, 
strong physique and well-balanced mind, and having 
won from the soil of Polk county a substantial com- 
petence, Antone M. Gamme, a prominent farmer now 
living retired from active work in the village of Fer- 
tile, has shown that he chose wisely when he sought 
the United States as a land of opportunity in which 
industry, thrift and good management were bound 
to win success and prosperity. By his activity in 
public affairs as a good citizen but not as an office 
seeker, he has also shown that the country gained in 
sturdy and sterling manhood when he became a resi- 
dent of it. 



Mr. Gamme was born in Norway April 23, 1861, 
and remained in his native land until 1883. He was 
reared on a farm and obtained a common school edu- 
cation. Late in tlie spring of 1883 he emigrated to 
America, landing at New York and coming direct 
to Polk county, Minnesota. During the first eight 
years of his residence in this country he worked as 
a farm laborer. At the end of that period he pre- 
empted eighty acres of land in Godfrey township 
which he proved up on, owned and improved for a 
number of years, then sold it. 

In the spring of 1891 Mr. Gamme took up a home- 
stead in Rice township and subsequentl.y purchased 
an additional tract of 160 acres. On this land he had 



148 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



his home and expended his labors, improving it with 
good buildings and bringing the greater part of it 
to advanced productiveness, and occupying it until 
the spring of 1915, when he gave up all active work 
and moved to Fertile. His land is all in Rice town- 
ship, and, during the years of his activity, he carried 
on a general fanning enterprise with vigor, pro- 
gressiveness and success, making his fann one of the 
best in the township in fruitfulness and an attractive 
one in appearance. 

On July 15, 1891, Mr. Gamme was married to Mrs. 
Baroline Shefloe, the widow of Isaac Shefloe. Slie, 



also, was bom in Norway, her life beginning on June 
23, 1856, and Mas thirteen years old when she came 
to the United States. In 1882 she became a resident 
of Polk county, and here her first husband died, pass- 
ing away at Beltrami when he was at the age of fifty- 
two. By her first marriage she had three children, 
Jlortimer, Amelia and Florence. She and her present 
husband are the parents of four children, Elmer and 
Joseph, twins, and Jessie and Orlie. The father and 
mother are zealous members of tlie Lutheran churcli 
and devoted to the welfare of the congregation they 
are in. 



KNUTE NELSON. 



When Knute Nelson, the present capable and oljlig- 
ing postmaster at Fertile, this county, whs appointed 
to that office by President Wilson on August 25, 1914, 
he was well prepared for the duties he had been 
selected to perform, for he had already performed 
similar duties in other places at different times, had 
served as assistant postmaster at Fertile, and had 
rendered the public good service in other positions 
of trust and responsibility. Moreover, he is a man 
of extensive general intelligence, good judgment and 
a resourcefulness that makes him e(iual to any re- 
quirement. 

Mr. Nelson was born in Norway February 28, 1857, 
the son of Nels A. Nelson, who died in that country 
May 16, 1915, at the age of eighty-nine years. His 
son Knute was the fourth of his eight children in the 
order of birth. He remained in his native land until 
he reached the age of sixteen, then came to the United 
States, arriving in 1873. In June of that year he 
located in Dodge county, Minnesota, and for two 
years thereafter he devoted himself wholly to hard 
labor as a farm hand. During the next two years 
he worked on a farm and attended school, and in 
1877 and 1878 he was clerk in a general store in 
Vernon Dodge county, in which the postofifice was 
kept, and he al.so acted as assistant postmaster in 
that town while clerking in the store. 



On May 1, 1879, he started driving a "prairie 
schooner" across the state to the Red river valley 
and reached Crookston on May 15. He at once took 
up a homestead in Garfield township, this county, on 
which he filed on May 19, and at that time he, his 
bi'other Ener and his uncle, Lai-s Bolstad, were the 
only white settlers in that township. During the 
summer and spring of 1879 he worked on his home- 
stead, and in the winter of 1880 began clerking in a 
store in Crookston, and after doing that for about 
five months he returned to his claim and went on 
improving it and making it productive. 

By this time ^Ir. Nelson's ability had become 
known to his neighbors, and they looked upon him 
as one of the men among them best fitted for public 
office. In June of that year he was appointed as- 
sessor for the townships of Garfield, Gordon, Bear 
Park and Sundahl, and in the fall he became assistant 
grain buyer at Edna station, a position which lie 
filled for two months, after which he again turned 
his attention to clerking in a store and looked after 
the Edna postoffice until April, 1881. 

Soon afterward he opened a store at a small place 
named Aldal, and there he was appointed postmaster 
during President Garfield's administration and served 
until the office was discontinued in August, 1887. He 
was also in the lumber business at Fosston and in 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



149 



Columbia towiiship, Polk county, until 1889, and from 
then until 1908 he gave his whole attention to his farm- 
ing operations, which he had continued at intervals 
all the time. In 1910 and 1911 he kept a store at 
RindaJ, Polk county, and during the next three years 
he clerked in a store in Clearwater county. Through- 
out a large part of this time his family was living 
at Fertile, and when he was appointed postmaster 
there he was reunited with it, and he also returned 
to an old job, for he had been assistant postmaster 
under his brother. Dr. A. Nelson, who died in 1909, 
and also under Brown Duckstad from May 1, 1898, 
to January 15, 1899. 

Mr. Nelson was elected county commissioner in the 
fall of 1882. He has also been a justice of the peace 
and filled other local of3fices. Always enterprising and 
progressive, he has been an important factor in build- 
ing up and improving his township and county, help- 
ing to organize the Farmers' Elevator compan}' in 



June, 1893, and serving as its secretary for eleven 
years. In political affiliation he has been a Democrat 
since 1890, taking an active part in all campaigns 
and frequently serving as a delegate to county con- 
ventions of his party. His religious connection is 
with the Lutheran Synod church, and he has been 
zealous and energetic in its service also. 

Mr. Nelson was married in Garfield township June 
24, 1882, to Miss Martha Brunberg, who was born in 
Wisconsin March 2, 1863. They have nine children : 
Norman 0., Richard A., Edd R., Luella, Leonora, 
Knute M., Olga I., Arthur and Thea L. The parents 
own a good farm of 160 acres in Gai-field township, 
on which the father has expended a great deal of labor 
to good advantage, making it productive and improv- 
ing it according to present day ideas. The farm is 
located in Section 16, and was all wild land when he 
took possession of it. It is wholly the product of his 
skiU and industrj^, and is highly creditable to him. 



SVEN PHILIP SWENSON. 



The late Sven Philip Swenson, a leading farmer 
of Vineland township for many years, was a pioneer 
of Polk county, having become a resident of it about 
1874. He located on a homestead in section 20 which 
he took up soon after his arrival in the county, and 
on which he passed the remainder of his days. When 
he located in that township it was yet almost wholly 
a wilderness, and his own land was virgin to the 
plow and yielding nothing for his sustenance. But 
he made a good farm of it and added to it until, at 
the time of his death he owned 340 acres, all of which 
he had under cultivation. 

Mr. Swenson was born in what is now the city 
of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, on November 21, 1845, and 
came to Houston county, Minnesota, about 1860. A 
short time after reaching this state he moved on up 
into the northwestern part of it and for two years 
was employed on the Red river. In 1874 he became a 
resident of Polk county, taking up the homestead al- 
ready mentioned. He worked on his place when he 



had opportunity and followed other pursuits for a 
living for several years, but always looked forward 
to having his home on the farm which he was grad- 
ually bringing to productiveness. 

On July 3, 1882, Mr. Swenson was married to Miss 
Elizabeth Aasmork, a native of Norway, and they 
at once took up their residence on the Vineland town- 
ship farm. From then until his death, which occurred 
on April 20, 1903, he continued to improve and cul- 
tivate his land, and when he was able put up good 
buildings on it. He and his wife were the parents 
of six children all of whom are living. They are 
Knute, Olianna, Lena, Annie, Ole and Carl. Olianna 
is the wife of Edward Opsahl and Lena is the wife 
of Heniy B. Hanson. The father was well esteemed 
as a sturdy and upright citizen and an industrious 
and progressive farmer. He took a good citizen's 
helpful part in local public affairs, although he never 
sought or desired prominence or influence as an office 
holder or active partisan politician. 



150 



COMPEiNDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



Kntjte Swenson, the oldest son and child of Sven voice in reference to all matters connected with the 
P. and Elizabeth (Aasmork) Swenson, who is now government of the township. He was bom and reared 
one of the leading citizens of Climax, and a courteous on his father's farm in Vineland township, and was 



and companionable gentleman, has followed in his 
father's footsteps as an active force in the affairs 
of his township, but in a more direct and energetic 
way. He has served the public well as a constable 
and as village recorder, and has had an influential 



educated at the country school near it. On July 3, 
1912, he was united in marriage with Miss Nora 
Louisa Poulson. They have one child, their son 
Earl N. 



MARTIN HOOGENSON. 



Martin Hoogenson, of Mcintosh, a well known 
farmer and real estate dealer, has been a resident of 
King township since early infancy. He was boni in 
Otter Tail county, Jlinnesota, July 12, 1883, the son 
of Lauris and Kjestine (Rudshaugen) Hoogenson, na- 
tives of Norway. On coming to the United States, 
Lauris Hoogenson located in Otter Tail county and 
later removed to Polk county and took a homestead 
in King township, where he made his home until his 
death in 1900. Martin Hoogenson was the eldest of 
three children and grew to manhood on the farn^ in 
King township and received his education in the 
common schools. His interests have always been 
identified with that township, where he is extensively 



associated with the farming activities, owning two 
hundred acres of land. Since 1913 he has resided at 
Mcintosh and has established a prosperous real estate 
business at that place. Mr. Hoogenson has always 
faithfully discharged the duties of citizenship, taking 
an active interest in township affairs and has given 
able service in official capacity, as justice of peace 
and assessor. He is a member and a faithful sup- 
porter of the United Norwegian Lutheran church. 
Mr. Hoogenson was married in King township, March 
1, 1906 to Anne Tronby, the widow of Peter Tronby, 
and they have three children, Berthur, Melvin and 
Lillian. 



ANDREW STEENERSON. 



Revered as a pioneer of Polk county, successful in 
business and enterprising and broad-minded in re- 
gard to public affairs, the late Andrew Steenerson 
of Climax was esteemed during his life as one of the 
county's iiseful and progressive citizens, and he is 
remembered since his death with cordial appreciation 
as a man of sterling worth, steadfast integrity and a 
citizenship that was elevated in itself and elevating 
in its influence on others. 

Mr. Steenerson was native to the soil of Minnesota 
and from it drew the invigorating forces that gave 
him his stature and his strength. He was born in 
Houston county February 9, 1855, and became a resi- 
dent of Polk county in 1875, when he was about 



twenty years old. Soon after his arrival in this county 
he took up a homestead of 160 acres near Climax, 
and this he increased by purchases made later until 
he became the owner of 480 acres, of which he was 
the possessor at the time of his death, which occurred 
in Climax, at the attractive home he had built there, 
on May 18, 1908. Mr. Steenerson was a brother of 
Elias Steenerson, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere 
and in which a full history of the family is given. 

After living on his homestead for a number of 
years Mr. Steenerson moved to Crookston and became 
a dealer in farm machinery. He adhered to this 
line of mercantile life for five or six years, then re- 
turned to his farm and continued to live on it until 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



151 



1901, when he changed his residence to Climax, where 
he passed the remainder of his days. He was always 
public-spirited and progressive in the affairs of the 
locality of his home, wherever it was, and among 
the public positions he held was the office of sheriff 
of Polk county, which he filled with gi*eat accepta- 
bility for two years. His untimely death at the early 
age of fifty-three, when he was at the height of his 
vigor and the full measure of his usefulness, was 
universally lamented. 

On October 10, 1881, Mr. Steenersou was united 
in marriage with Miss Bertha Flang, who was born 
in Norway and came with her parents to the United 
States when she was about twelve years of a^e. The 



family located in Ottertail county, Minnesota, and 
there Mrs. Steenerson lived ten years, changing her 
residence to Polk county about 1879. She and her 
husband became the parents of seven children, four 
of whom are living: Steener, M'ho is a resident of 
Crookston ; Arne, who has his home at Climax ; Nora, 
who is a school teacher, and Oretta, who is still liv- 
ing at home. The other three children died when 
they were very young. Mi-s. Steenerson is a Lutheran 
in religious affiliation, and is earnestly interested in 
church work. She takes an active part in the activi- 
ties of several of the agencies at work in the commun- 
ity for the good of its people, and is highly respected 
by all classes of them. 



AUGUST LINDBLAD. 



Beginning life for himself as a blacksmith and 
working his way up by his native ability, good busi- 
ness capacity and persistent industry and good man- 
agement to the position of a leading merchant and 
business man, August Lindblad, one of the wide- 
awake and progressive residents of Climax, this 
county, furnishes in his successful career a fine illus- 
tration of the value of strong personality, determined 
perseverance and resolute self-reliance in a land of 
many exactions and keen competition in all the activi- 
ties of life, but, nevertheless, abundant in opportuni- 
ties for advancement. 

Mr. Lindblad is a native of Sweden, where his life 
began July 12, 1871, and where he lived until he 
reached the age of twenty and learned the trade of 
blacksmith. In 1891 he emigrated to the United 
States and at once came West, locating at Mar- 
quette, Michigan, and there finding employment in 
building bridges for a railroad company for two years. 
From Marquette he moved to Norman county, Minne- 
sota, and during the next two years worked at the 
forge in that county. He became a resident of Polk 
county in 1895, and for something over a year op- 
erated a blacksmith shop on the farm of Christian 
Steenerson in Vineland township, Polk county. 



About the time when he was ready to give up his 
shop on the farm to seek a better opening he saw 
one in the village of Climax, and he at once opened 
a shop there. This shop he continued to conduct until 
1905, when he sold it and began handling agricultural 
implements, a line of trade in which he is still engaged. 
He is also manager of the Climax Shipping associa- 
tion, which includes live stock and farm produce 
among the commodities it handles, and has been sec- 
retary of the Climax Co-operative Mercantile com- 
pany from the beginning of its activity in the com- 
munity. 

The public affairs of Climax have always deeply 
interested Mr. Lindblad, and he has taken an active 
and serviceable part in helping to administer them 
wisely, serving for many years as a member of the 
village council and three terms as mayor. In addi- 
tion to his other pursuits he assists in superintending 
the cultivation of 120 acres of land in Vineland town- 
ship, in which he owns a one-half interest. 

Mr. Lindblad was married December 30, 1895, in 
Ada, the coimty seat of Norman county, to Miss Hilda 
Kirkevold, a native of Norway. They have six chil- 
dren, Esther, Hardin, Pearl, Alvin, Russell and Ira. 
The parents are held in the highest esteem by every- 



152 



CO.MPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



body who knows thum, aud throughout the North- genuine and well-founded popularity in his home 

west Mr. Lindblad is regarded as a first class business town as a man, as a merchant, as an influential force 

man and a public-spirited aud progressive citizen. He for good and as a social potency, 
is genial, sociable aud companionable, and enjoys 



JOHN J. ALRICK. 



John J. Alriek, a well known citizen of Mcintosh, 
was born at Vernon, Dodge county, Minnesota, Sep- 
tember 13, 1872. His parents, John and Mary (Ten- 
nefos) Alriek, were natives of Norway and came to 
this country in the spring of 1872, settling in Dodge 
county, where they made their home until 1898, when 
they removed to Mcintosh and have since continued 
to reside in that place. They reared a family of ten 
children, of whom John J. Alriek is next to the young- 
est. He grew to manhood on the homestead in Dodge 
county and attended the common schools. On remov- 
ing to Polk county, he located in Winger township 
aud spent seven years in successful farming activi- 
ties in that township. Subsequently he engaged in 



the restaurant business but since 1907, has given his 
attention chiefly to his service as a rural mail carrier, 
which position he holds at present. Mr. Alriek has 
given able service to the public interests as citizen and 
official and has ever been influential in promoting the 
best interests of the community. He is a member of 
the Synod Lutheran church and in fraternal organiza- 
tions is affiliated with the Knights of Pythias and the 
Independent Scandinavian Workiugmen of America. 
Mr. Alriek was married in Dodge county, Minnesota, 
]\rarch 3, 1897, to Marj- Thorsness, who is a native 
of that county. Three children have been born to 
this union, Landor 0., Milo B., and Eunice N. 



HANS SAMUBLSON. 



After passing many years in active pursuit of vari- 
ous kinds in a number of different places, making 
each occupation minister to his advancement in life 
by his industry, constant attention to duty and good 
management, Hans Samuelson, formerly one of the 
leading farmers of Vineland township, is now living 
retired from hard labor, maintaining his residence 
in the village of Climax but still exercising active 
personal supervision over the management and op- 
eration of his fine farm of 160 acres, all of which 
is under cultivation and yielding good returns for 
the labor spent upon it. 

Mr. Samuelson was born in Norway November 6, 
1864, and emigrated to the United States in the sum- 
mer of 1882. He landed in New York and from there 
came direct to Minnesota, locating in Grant county 
and there working at farm labor for two years. He 
then went to North Dakota and during the summer 



months found emplojnnent on a large farm in that 
territory. The following winter he passed working 
in the lumber woods of Michigan, and when spring 
came he took up a timber claim in the neighborhood 
of Bemidji, on which he passed the next three years. 
Early in the nineties Mr. Samuelson moved to 
Polk county and bought 160 acres of land in Vineland 
township. On this land he lived until the Great 
Northern railroad was built through from Halstad 
to Crookston. He next kept a hotel and saloon in 
Climax until 1905, when he sold his business in the 
village and resumed his farming operations, but 
continued to live in Climax, where he owns an at- 
tractive residence. He has always taken an active 
interest in the public affairs of Climax and Vineland 
township, serving as constable in the township and 
president of the council in the village, filling the latter 
office three terms. He has also been a member of the 




TOM MOREJS 



COJIPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



153 



boai'd of school directors for some j-ears and is now 
its chairman. Being a strong advocate of temperance, 
he has rendered imjjortant service to the cause as a 
member of the County Option League. 

On October 20, 1890, Mr. Samuelsou was married 
in Polk county to Miss Anne Steenerson, who was 
bom in Houston county, Minnesota, May 1, 1860. She 
is the daughter of Steener and Bergit (Rohalt) Knut- 
son, and lived with them in Houston county until 
the fall of 1876, when she came to Polk county and 
began a useful career as a school teacher, her first 
school being in Traill county. North Dakota, which 
she taught dui-ing the winter of 1876-7. She con- 



tinued to teach in that state and Minnesota for about 
five years and was then assistant postmistress at 
Fisher, this countj-, for three years. After that she 
attended the University of North Dakota two years 
and then again taught school in this county five 
years. 

Mr. and Mrs. Samuelsou have two children living, 
their daughter Bergit and their son Stanley. Bergit 
is a graduate of the State Normal School at Moor- 
head, Minnesota, and Stanley is a student in the 
Crookston High School. Their first bom child, Hans 
A., died at the age of seventeen, and another son, 
uamed Stanley B., at the age of two years. 



MADS W. JENSEN. 



Mads W. Jensen, postmaster at Mcintosh, has been 
identified with interests of the region of the Thirteen 
Towns since 1880, when he settled on land in Gar- 
den township. He is a native of Denmark, born 
August 15, 1854, and came with his parents to Wau- 
paca county, Wisconsin, in 1863. There he attended 
the country schools and made his home on the Wis- 
consin farm until 1879 when he went to Goodhue 
county, Minnesota, and in the spring of the follow- 
ing year, removed to Polk county aud took a home- 
stead in Garden township. He was one of the first 
settlers in that section and was prominent in the or- 
ganization of the township and the early adminis- 
tration of its affairs. He remained on the farm until 
1889 when he came to Mcintosh and engaged in the 
milling business, in partnership with Anton Jensen, 
J. P. Johnson and 0. P. Johnson, under the firm name 
of M. W. Jensen & Co. After several years of suc- 
cessful operation as a miller, Mr. Jensen sold his in- 
terest in the company and has since given his atten- 



tion to various business activities. For ten years he 
was employed as a rural mail carrier and in 1915 was 
appointed postmaster at Mcintosh, an appointment 
which met the hearty commendation of the citizens 
of the town. He has given able service in ofiicial 
capacity as village assessor and has held the office of 
justice of peace for sixteen years. As a public spirited 
and progressive citizen, Mr. Jensen has been actively 
influential in promoting the best interests of the com- 
munity and has put his interest and service into every 
project to advance the growth and prosperity of the 
village. He was married in 1879, at Red Wing, 
Minnesota, to Hannah Johnson. She is of Norwegian 
parentage and was bom in Goodhue county, Minne- 
sota. They have a family of three daughter and 
one son, Marie L., who married A. K. Anderson, Wil- 
lie A., Florence, the wife of J. H. Espeseth and Mabel. 
Mr. Jensen is a member of Modem Woodmen of 
America. 



TOM MORRIS. 



Tom Morris, mayor of Crookston and a pioneer 1857. He is the son of Mark and Ann C. (Stoddard) 
business man of that city, is a native of Canada, Morris, the latter a native of Scotland. Mark Morris 
bom at Goderich, Huron county, Ontario, June 22, was bom in Waltshire, England, and came to Canada 



154 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



in 1831, where he engaged in farming and worked at 
his trade of millwright, erecting many of the small 
saw mills in the region where he lived. He died in 
1866, the victim of an accidental death by drown- 
ing. His wife survived him for many years, living 
to the age of seventy-seven. Tom Morris spent the 
early years of his life in his native town and there 
attended the public schools. In 1873 he came to 
Waupun, Wis., and as a lad of twelve began to tit 
himself for an efficient career in the business world, 
apprenticing himself to the jewelry trade. He re- 
mained in Waupun for three years and then removed 
to Milwaukee. Two years later, in 1878, he came to 
Crookston and in partnership with Mr. W. W. Hough- 
ton established the pioneer jewelry firm of this city. 
The firm was dissolved the following year, Mr. Mor- 
ris having owned and conducted the business from 
that time. Aside from this prosperous enterprise 
and his private interests, he has been notably asso- 
ciated with public affairs and the history of the devel- 
opment and rapid expansion of Crookston. As a 
wide-awake citizen and merchant he merits the re- 
spect and popularity which is his. It is his pi'ivilege 
to compare the little hamlet surrounded by the primi- 
tive forest with the city of today and to know that 
his zealous services were freely given to promote its 



welfare and prosperity. He is particularly identified 
with organization of the city fire department. His 
efforts in this part of civic service became state- 
wide and he was made president of the state asso- 
ciation and has been elected a life member of that 
body. It was after the first big fire in Crookston, in 
1880, that he instigated the organization of the first 
fire company. He was chief of the department until 
1883, when it was reorganized into its present form. 
Although the period of his most active service is past, 
he continues his connection with the department. 
Several offices of public trust have been conferred 
upon Mr. Morris by his fellow citizens. In 1881 he 
was elected alderman and has .served in the office of 
mayor since 1912. On January 22, 1890, he was mar- 
ried to Nellie Heith, who is a native of Wisconsin. 
In fraternal orders, Mr. Morris is prominently and 
widely known throughout the state. He has been 
affiliated with Masonry since 1883 and has filled all 
the chairs, occupying that of Master for thirteen 
years. In 1906 he was elected the Grand Master of 
Minnesota and is the present Grand Captain General 
of the Coramandery. He is a charter member of the 
Elks lodge and was chosen the second Exalted Ruler. 
He is a member of the Republican party. 



EDDY BOLSTAD. 



Prominent and successful in business; a man of 
commanding influence in local public affairs; every- 
wfhere recognized as an upright, progressive and 
highly serviceable citizen, and a forceful factor in 
all undertakings for the farther development and im- 
provement of his home town and county, Eddy Bol- 
stad, the present mayor of Fertile, has reached an 
elevated place in the regard of the people around 
him, but he richly desei'\'es his standing and has won 
it wholly by his own efforts and genuine merit. 

Mr. Bolstad was born in Dodge county, Minne- 
sota, May 3, 1872, the third child of Knute and Inge- 
borg (Olsen) Bolstad, natives of Norway. The family 



moved to Polk county in 1880, when the future mayor 
was but eight years old, and settled on a homestead 
which the father entered in Gai-field township and 
on which he is still living. He and his wife are 
the parents of twelve children. They are industrious 
and thrifty farmers and are held in esteem by all 
classes of the people wherever they are known. 

Their son Eddy grew to manhood in Polk county 
and obtained his education in its schools. At the age 
of sixteen he left home and began his business career 
as a clerk in the store of Messrs. Nelson & Opheim at 
Fertile. When the partnership was dissolved two 
years later and ]\Ir. Opheim became the sole proprie- 



COMPENDIUM OP HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



155 



tor of the store Mr. Bolstad remaiued in his employ 
aud continued to clerk for him seven years longer. 
At the end of that period he became a clerk in the 
clothing store of Leo Baer, with whom he was asso- 
ciated in that capacity for eight years. In 1907 he 
bought the business of Mr. Baer, and he has conducted 
it himself ever since. 

Throughout his manhood Mr. Bolstad has taken 
an earnest interest and an active part in the civil 
affairs of his community, and has been very helpful 
to it. He has served as village assessor, and in that 
office he gave the people sers'ice so entirely satis- 
factory that in the spring of 1915 he was elected 
mayor of the village. As the chief village executive 



he is performing his duties with the same zeal, in- 
telligence and fidelity that he exhibited in the office 
of assessor and has always shown in the management 
of his private business and personal affaii-s. 

In religious affiliation Mr. Bolstad is connected 
with the Synod Lutheran church, and in fraternal 
relations he is a member of the Ancient Order of 
United Workmen. On August 31, 1895, he was united 
in marriage with Miss Tina Westad, the marriage 
being solemnized in Crookston, this county. They 
have one child, their daughter Edith Thelma. Mrs. 
Bolstad is a Norwegian by nativity but has been a 
resident of this state and county for many years. 



LEWIS M. HESSELDAHL. 



While he has sought nothing of renown or spectacu- 
lar display in his life to the present time, but has 
been content to live as a plain, industrious, frugal, 
upright and useful citizen, Lewis M. Hesseldahl, a 
retired farmer now residing at Fertile, this county, 
has, nevertheless, had some exciting experiences in 
the service of his adopted country and seen the other 
side of the world from here while rendering that serv- 
ice. He was a United States soldier in the Spanish- 
American war and as such was assigned to duty in the 
Philippines during that short but decisive contest. 

Mr. Hesseldahl is a native of Denmark, where his 
life began Februaiy 24, 1874. When he was but one 
year and a half old his parents brought him to this 
country and took up their residence in Kendall 
county, Illinois. Some time afterward they moved 
to Minnesota and located in Faribault county, and 
there their son Lewis remained until 1901, when he 
came to Polk county and located on a farm near Fer- 



tile. His farm is in Garfield township and contains 
240 acres. It is well improved and by his skill aud 
industry in cultivating it he has brought it to a high 
state of productiveness. A few years ago he gave up 
active work on the farm and moved to Fertile, where 
he has since had his home, but he has continued to 
superintend the operations of his farm industry. 

On March 4, 1905, Mr. Hes.seldahl was united in 
marriage with Mrs. Anna (Frandahl) Underdahl, for- 
merly the wife of Reginald Underdahl, who was liorn 
in Norway. They also moved from Faribault county, 
Minnesota, to Polk county in 1901, and settled on a 
faiTn in Garfield township. Mrs. Hesseldahl was bom 
near Madison, Wisconsin, November 28, 1856, and was 
married to Mr. Underdahl in Faribault county. She 
has six children living, the fruits of her first marriage. 
They are : John, Julius, Ole, Christina, Ada and 
Eddie. 



JOSEPH MELAAS. 



While he has been a resident of Fertile but five 
years Joseph Melaas, manager of the Monarch Ele- 
vator company, has made his mark on the business 



activities of the village and established a reputation 
for good judgment, enterprise and determined per- 
sistency in whatever he undertakes and has risen to 



156 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



a high rauk in the estimatiou and regard of the people 
as a business man and a wide-awake and progressive 
citizen, keenly alive to the general welfare of the eora- 
niunity along all wholesome lines of development. 

Jlr. Melaas was born and reared on a farm in Win- 
neshiek county, Iowa, one of the younger of the fif- 
teen children of A. John and Grunhild (Blegeberg) 
Melaas, natives of Norway. He obtained a good com- 
mon school education iu his native county, and after 
attaining the age of twenty-one yeare clerked in a 
store at Ridgeway, in that county, for a period of five 
years. In 1902 he went to North Dakota and took up 
a homestead on which he lived until the spring of 
1906. He then sold his claim and moved to Clearwater 
county, Minnesota, where he was occupied iu the liv- 
ery business for two years, and also served as census 
enumerator of four townships in Clearwater county, 
and in addition lie was a member of tlie Shevlin school 
board and the village council. 

In November, 1910, he located at Fertile and again 
entered the livery business, which he followed here 



for one year. During the next year he was employed 
by the Thorpe Elevator company at Milnor, North 
Dakota, and at the end of that period was appointed 
manager of the ]\Ionarch Elevator company at Fer- 
tile, which position he has held continuously since, 
and since he came to Fertile he has held the office 
of village assessor here. His farm of 160 acres in 
Godfrey township, this county, is well improved and 
nearly all under cultivation. It is verj^ productive 
and steadily increasing in value, for he gives it in- 
telligent attention and conducts its operations accord- 
ing to the most approved methods of present-day 
farming. 

Mr. Melaas was married June 6, 1903, in "Wild Rice 
church at Twin Valley, Norman county, Minnesota, to 
Miss Louise Ask, a native of that county. They have 
two children living, Beatrice J. and Vera E. The 
parents are members of Synod Lutheran church and 
take an active part in all its good works for the im- 
provement of the community, throughout which they 
are well esteemed as thev richly deseiwe to be. 



STEEN A. HOFTO. 



Having come to the United States a boy of thirteen 
years of age and successively worked as farm hand, 
as a farmer on his own account, as a merchant and 
again as a farmer, Steen A. Hofto, one of the best 
known and most highly esteemed residents of the vil- 
lage of Mcintosh, this county, has had a varied experi- 
ence in life and borne his share of trials and priva- 
tions. But through every part of his career he has 
made steady progress financially and in the good will 
and regard of his fellow men. 

Mr. Hofto was born in Vallc, Norway, Febiiiary 13, 
1855, and is the son of Arue and Gunnel (Aaki-e) 
Hofto, who were also natives of Norway. They emi- 
grated to the United States in 1868 and located on a 
farm in Waseca county, Minnesota, on which they 
lived about twelve years. In the spring of 1880 the 
family moved to Grand Forks county. North Dakota, 
where the father died when he was seventy-three years 



old. The mother died at the home of her son Steen 
after she had passed the age of eighty. They were 
the parents of nine children, of whom Steen A. was 
the fifth in the order of birth. 

He came to this country with his parents iu 1868 
and lived with them in Waseca county, IMinnesota, 
until 1878. He then accompanied them to Grand 
Forks county, North Dakota, and there took up a 
homestead of 160 acres and a tree claim of 160 acres in 
Americus township. He lived on his land until 1891, 
breaking and cultivating it and putting up good build- 
ings for the shelter of his family and himself and the 
protection of his crops and his live stock. 

In the fall of 1891 Mr. Hofto moved to Polk county 
and entered the hardware business in Mcintosh in 
partnei-ship with his brother, Knute Hofto, and during 
the next five years they conducted the business to- 
gether under the firm name of Ilofto Bros. At the 



COMPENDIUM OP HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



157 



end of five years he bought his brother's interest in 
the business and became its sole proprietor. After- 
ward he again turned his attention to farming and 
followed that occupation for about ten yeai-s in King 
township, this county, and at the expiration of that 
period rented his farm and took up his residence in 
Mcintosh, where he has since had Ms home. He still 
owns his farm of 160 acres just east of Mcintosh, 
which he has improved with commodious and comfort- 
able buildings. He also erected the block just north 
of the West Hotel in Mcintosh. 



While living in North Dakota Mr. Hofto held sev- 
eral township offices, among them that of township 
assessor, of which he was the first incumbent, and 
since locating in Polk county he has served as a mem- 
ber of the village council of Mcintosh and township 
assessor of King township. In the autumn of 1883 
he was married in Grand Porks county, North Dakota, 
to Miss Gyro S. Jora, who was born in Norway August 
23, 1863. They have three children, Ame, Samuel 
and Knute. The parents are active members of the 
Norwegian Lutheran church. 



ERIC J. ERIKSON. 



Having come to this country and settled in Polk 
county in the full maturity of his manhood and with 
his ambition for his own advancement and the im- 
provement of the land of his adoption in full vigor, 
and having devoted all his time and energy to the 
aceomi)lishment of his desires, Eric J. Eriksou, one 
of the leading business men of Fertile, has proven 
himself to be a very useful citizen and a productive 
power for good in the community of his home. 

Mr. Erikson was born in Sweden June 28, 1852, and 
was reared and educated in that country, where he 
remained imtil he reached the age of twenty-nine, en- 
gaged principally in farming. In 1881 he came to the 
United States and in the autumn of that year took up 
his residence in Polk county. He entered a claim for 
160 acres of land in Bear Park township, and on this 
tract he lived and made improvements for about ten 
years. At the end of that period he sold the home- 
stead and bought another farm, which is located in 



Garfield township, and also contains 160 acres. This 
farm was his home and employed his energies for 
five years. He then sold it and moved into the vil- 
lage of Fertile. 

After locating in Fertile Mr. Erikson first engaged 
in keeping a restaurant, but soon abandoned this line 
of trade and became a dealer in farm produce. He 
is now also largely interested in real estate in the 
village and the surrounding country. He has served 
several tei-ms as a member of the village council, and 
in many other ways has contributed to the develop- 
ment, improvement and growth of the town, and has 
taken an active and helpful interest in the United 
Lutheran church, of which he has long been a mem- 
ber. He was married in Sweden to Miss Johanna 
Anderson, a native of that country. They have six 
children, Hannah, Hulda, Hjalmar, Julia, Lillie and 
Eugene. 



REVEREND L. J. NJUS. 



Reverend L. J. Njus, of Mcintosh, pastor of the 
Synod Lutheran church at that place and a well 
known clergyman of the county, lias given able serv- 
ices in the ministerial field of Minnesota for the past 
fourteen years. He was bom in Norway, December 
6, 1870 and there received his early education, com- 



pleting an academic course of study before coming to 
this country in June, 1888, at the age of eighteen 
years. For two years he engaged in farm labor in 
Minnehaha county. South Dakota and was then 
enabled to pursue his educational ambitions and en- 
tered the Lutheran Normal school at Sioux Falls. On 



158 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



leaving this school he secured a position as a teacher 
iu a parochial school and for three years continued to 
be occupied in that profession, teaching in southern 
Wisconsin and in other places and then enrolled in 
the Luther Theological Seminary at St. Paul where 
he prepared himself for the clergy. He was gradu- 
ated in 1901 and received his first pastorate at Lake- 
field, Minnesota, where he served for over a year and 
was then transferred to Grove City, Minnesota. In 
1905 he was appointed to the Synod Lutheran church 
at Mcintosh, where his chai'ge includes four Polk 
county congregations. During the years of his pas- 
toral labors in that vicinity, Mr. Njus has won the 



respect and esteem of all through his able and sincere 
service to the community. He has given his influence 
and active interest freely in the promotion of matters 
of public betterment and, as a member for several 
years of the school board and president of that body, 
has been prominently associated with the educational 
affairs of the town. Mr. Njus was married in Rock 
county, "Wisconsin, October, 1892, to Susan Johnson, a 
native of that state, whose death occurred at Mcintosh, 
iu January, 1910. His second marriage was solemnized 
in June, 1912, with Ingeborg Sime, who was bom in 
Norway. Two children have been born to this union, 
Ingemar J. and Martha Matilda. 



JOHN 0. BUHN. 



This gentleman, who has contributed a great deal 
to the enjoyment of a large number of persons for 
nearly twenty years in a specific way, and at the same 
time aided in building up and improving the locality 
in which he lives, is the founder and sole proprietor 
of the popular Maple Lake summer resort in Woodside 
township, this countj'^, where he has a completely 
equipped modern hotel and otlier facilities for the en- 
tertainment of patrons and pleasure seekers and lias 
built up a flourishing, extensive and profitable busi- 
ness. 

Mr. Buhn was bom in Norwa}' July 5, 1861, and 
came to the United States with his parents in 1869. 
They were Ole and Elsie (Peter.son) Buhn, and both 
of the same nativity as himself. When they reached 
this country in 1869 they located in Jackson county, 
Wisconsin, and there the father died before the end 
of the year. After the death of her husband the 
mother took up a homestead in Jackson county, and 
on this tract of land, which she developed into a fnait- 
ful and valuable farm, she passed the remainder of 
her days, dying in 1894. Of the five children born in 
the family John 0. was the youngest. 

Orphaned by the death of his father when the son 
was but eight years old, John 0. Buhn passed his boy- 
hood and youth in hard labor and under severe priva- 



tions. But he accepted his lot with a resolute spirit 
and faithfully met the requirements of his duty from 
the first. He remained at home with his mother until 
he reached the age of seventeen years, then went to 
Prescott, Wisconsin, where he lived and worked two 
or three years. In December, 1881, he came to Crooks- 
ton and began learning the blacksmith trade under 
the instruction of his brother George. He finished 
his apprenticeship of four years but realized before 
the end of it that the work of his trade was too hard 
for him and when he completed learning it he aban- 
doned it. 

In order to prepare himself for a new career in life 
;\Ir. Buhn attended the Northwestern College of Com- 
merce for two seasons, and in the fall of 1887 he 
located at Mentor and opened the first store at that 
place and also became its first postmaster. For six 
yeai^s he continued merchandizing at Mentor, then sold 
his business and began improving the summer resort 
of which he is the proprietor. In connection with his 
enterprise as a resort keeper he ships lai'ge quantities 
of ice to points in North Dakota during the winter 
months and has been doing so since 1903. He also 
owns a quarter section of land in Grove Park town- 
ship, which he has improved and has under skillful 
cultivation. He takes an active part iu public town- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



159 



ship affairs aud has been school treasurer of Mentor 
for a long time. 

On June 24, 1888, Mr. Buhn was married at Mentor 
to Miss Ella Anderson, a native of Saint Ansgar, Iowa, 
and the daughter of Thor Anderson, who was a Polk 
county pioneer and died ou his farm in Godfrey town- 



ship in 1905. lie took up this farm when it was in 
the wilderness and made it productive and a valuable 
home. Mr. aud Mrs. Buhn have eight children. Lil- 
lian is the wife of George Kitman. Emma is the wife 
of Elmer Knutson. The others are Raymond, Arthur, 
Dora, Elmer, Elba and Claris. 



HENRY ANDERSON. 



Having come to this country fi*om his native land 
of Noi'way when he was but eight years old, and hav- 
ing met all the requirements of his situation in various 
places and amid differing surroundings, Henry Ander- 
son, now one of the euterpi-ising and successful farm- 
ers of Badger township, this county, has shown him- 
self to be a person of sturdy qualities of head and 
heart and of sterling worth as a citizen. He was bom 
August 12, 1852, aud in 1860 accompanied his parents, 
Andrew and Anna Anderson, to the United States. 

They first located in Wisconsin, where they lived 
for some years, and where the mother died. From 
Wisconsin the father and his children moved to Nor- 
man county, Minnesota, and a short time afterward 
to Walsh county, North Dakota. In 1888 they came 
to Polk county and settled in Badger tovsmship, and 
here the son took up a homestead on which he has 
ever since made his home. The father died in that 
township in about 1900 when he was eighty-two years 
of age. 

Henry Anderson's land was all wild aud unbroken 
to the plow when he took possession of it, and all that 
it is now in the way of improvement and productive- 



ness he has made it by his enterprise and skillful cul- 
tivation. The attractive and comfortable buildings 
with which it is enriched are also the products of his 
labor, and in this he has been so successful and man- 
aged so judiciously that he has been able to add an- 
other 160 acres to his holdings aud put a considerable 
quantity of the new tract under cultivation also. 

On January 19, 1886, Mr. Anderson was married in 
Walsh county. North Dakota, to Miss Sarah Ameud- 
son, whose life began in Norway June 15, 1854. She 
came to America at the age of sixteen and grew to 
womanhood in Wisconsin. She and her husband are 
members of the Norwegian Lutheran Synod church. 
They have four children. Aimer, Tillie A., Almon S. 
and Ingval. Mr. Anderson has been active and help- 
ful in his efforts to build up his township and quicken 
the development of its resources. While he has never 
held a public office or taken a verj^ active part in party 
political affairs, he has been earnest and prudent in his 
attention to the interests of his locality, and is held in 
general esteem as one of its progressive and public- 
spirited citizens. 



HERBERT B. SYKBS. 



The subject of this brief review is one of the lead- 
ing farmers and most public-spirited men in Park 
Grove township, Polk county, and has reached his 
position of prominence and influence solely through 
his own merit and his unaided, individual efforts. 
He lives on his fine farm near the village of Mentor, 
but is known throughout the county as one of the 



substantial and progressive farmers and most repre- 
sentative citizens of his township. 

Mr. Sykes was born in Monticello, Wright county, 
Minnesota, October 9, 1876, the son of William E. 
and Luzema (Mitchell) Sykes, the former a native 
of Montreal, Canada, and the latter of Wright county, 
where they were old settlers. Their son Herbert was 



160 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



the first born of their seven children, and remained 
at home with them until he reached the age of twenty- 
ty-four. He was reared on the farm, and from his 
boyhood bore his part of the labor of cultivating it, 
which interfered with the full use of his opportunity 
to obtain even the limited common school education 
that was available to him. 

On September 20, 1898, Mr. Sykes was married 
to Miss Lois Canfield, a native of Lyon county, Jlinne- 
sota, and a daughter of Frank L. and Flora (Hall) 
Canfield. The marriage took place in "Wright county, 
where Miss Canfield was living at the time. After 
their marriage they continued to live in that county 
for two years, Mr. Sykes being engaged in buying 
and shipping live stock. In 1890 they moved to Itasca 
county, this state, taking up a homestead 125 miles 
distant from a railroad. On this tract they located 
and lived for about seven years, during which I^Ir. 
Sykes worked at logging during the winters. 

In the spring of 1908 the family moved to Polk 
county. During the two years following his arrival 
in this county Mr. Sykes lived on land which he rented 
and farmed in Park Grove township. He then liougbt 



eighty acres, on whiuh he now has liis home, but ho 
farms a much more extensive tract, directing the 
operations on 560 acres in all. His farming is of a 
general nature in the main, but he makes a specialty 
of raising potatoes on a large scale, and shipped the 
first full carload sent out from Mentor. 

In the public affaire of his township Mr. Sykes has 
always taken an earnest interest and an active part. 
He has served as chairman of the township board and 
as school clerk. He is now one of the directors of 
the creamery in Mentor and also a director of the 
co-operative store at that village. No movement for 
the good of the township or the benefit of its resi- 
dents ever goes without his energetic support, and 
all his efforts in this behalf are guided by good .judg- 
ment and public spirit and governed by prudence 
and enterprise. He is vice president of the Park 
Fann club and in fraternal relations holds mem- 
bership in Camp No. 5288, Modern Woodmen of 
America, in which he has held all the important offices. 
He and his wife are the pai"ents of six children, Mil- 
dred E., Milton F., Hazel L., Mabel M., Roy E. and 
Earl H. 



OLE T. ROVANG. 



Now prosperous and well established as a success- 
ful farmer, with a progressively cultivated and highly 
improved farm of nearly 400 acres in Badger and 
Knute townships, Ole T. Rovang is one of the leading 
citizens of his part of Polk county, and enjoys in a 
marked degree the esteem and good will of its people 
and all others who know him. He has made a good 
record for work and good citizenship in several places 
in the Northwest since he came to the United States 
in 1876 from his native land of Norway, where he 
was born September 4, 1854, and where he was reared 
and educated. 

On his arrival in this country at the age of twenty- 
one and one-half years he located in Rock county, 
Minnesota, and there found employment for one sea- 
son as a farm hand. He then changed his base of 



operations to Decorah, Iowa, and until early in tlie 
eighties he worked out on farms in the neighborhood 
of that city. From Decorah, Iowa, he came to Polk 
county and preempted 160 acres of land on Badger 
creek in Badger township, but two years later lie 
moved to Sletten township, where he lived for a num- 
ber of years. 

Mr. Rovang 's next home was at Erskine, and there 
he carried on a hotel and livery business for some 
years. "While living at Erskine he bought the farm 
on which he now lives and sold his hotel and livery 
business. He has improved his farm with good build- 
ings and has on it two flowing wells and a modern 
well house. These are of great advantage to him in 
his operations, all of which are conducted according 
to up-to-date methods and with studious attention 




CUAKLKS L. CO^'CiEK 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



161 



to making every day of his lalwr and every element 
of his enterprise and intelligence tell to his advantage 
and promote his progress. 

In the mercantile and other business and public 
affaire of his township and county Mr. Rovaug has 
always taken an active part. He was one of the foun- 
ders and is now a director of the State Bank of 
Erskine and also owns a one-fourth interest in the 



Oslo Trading company of Oslo, Minnesota. He was 
married in 1884 in Badger township to Miss Christina 
Espeseth, a sister of G. K. Espeseth and the daughter 
of Knute Espeseth. They have reared four adopted 
children, Ida O., Peter, Albert and Lydia. The pa- 
rents are zealous and serviceable members of the 
United Lutheran church. 



CHARLES L. CONGER. 



Charles L. Conger, cashier of the Citizens State 
bank at Mcintosh, was born at Eau Claire, Wis- 
consin, January 17, 1869, the son of William and 
Susan (Wright) Conger. He is the descendant of 
revolutionary and colonial stock, the Congers having 
been soldiers and patriots since the settling of the 
colonies by England, the residence of the family 
dating from 1640. In 1667 a John Conger located 
on land in New Jersey, near Woodbridge, and about 
a century later, in 1770, Gersham Conger, the great- 
grandfather of Charles L. Conger, removed from that 
state to Vermont. He was one of the followers of the 
Quaker faith who by their sturdy qualities played 
such an important part in the building of the nation, 
but despite his religious belief gave valiant service 
during the war for independence and died in Vermont 
In 1835. His son, Asher Conger, was born at Danby, 
Vermont, in 1799 and his death occurred in 1852, in 
his native town, which was also the birthplace of his 
son, William Conger, who was born November 10, 
1819. The latter went to Wisconsin in 1867, two 
years before the birth of his son, Charles Conger, 
and later removed to Northwood, Iowa, where he 
died on August 16, 1898. He is survived by his wife, 
a native of Utica, New York, born May 19, 1835. She 
now makes her home with J. P. Foote of Crookston, 
who is her son by a previous marriage. Charles L. 
Conger was two years of age when the family removed 
to Northwood, Iowa, and was reared and educated in 
that place. In September, 1891, he came to Crooks- 
ton, where his half-brother, Mr. Foote, resided, and 



in the same month secured the position of assistant 
cashier in the Citizens State bank at Mcintosh, of 
which Mr. Foote is president. Mr. Conger has since 
devoted his business career to the able discharge of 
his duties as cashier, his successful association with 
this institution winning him recognition in the finan- 
cial circles of this section. The position of assistant 
cashier of the Citizens State bank has fitted a num- 
ber of the influential bankers of the state for more 
important positions; among the former occupants of 
these positions are, Alfred Hoel, now vice president 
of the Firet National bank at Gilbert ; First National 
of Biwabik, Minnesota, and State Bank of Arura, 
Minnesota; Charles Hoel, cashier of the Miners' Na- 
tional bank at Eveleth; A. J. Hoel, assistant cashier 
of the First National bank at Cass Lake; A. I. Sol- 
berg, cashier of the Farmers State bank at Winger, 
and T. A. Thompson, who was the first assistant 
cashier appointed in the Mcintosh bank and has held 
the office of registrar of deeds of Polk county for ten 
years. Mr. Conger is further identified with the busi- 
ness interests of the county as a landowner and 
farmer and is the proprietor of two farms, of 240 
and 160 acres, and several tracts of land, and has 
also made investments in timber land in St. Louis and 
farm lands in Pennington counties. He takes great 
interest in the management and the direction of the 
work of improvement of his farms, which are occu- 
pied by tenants. He is a member of the Democratic 
party and is widely known for his services in the 
political field and is active in conventions and in the 



162 



COMPEXDIUiM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



direction of party affairs, he has aever sought the 
honors of office, but has served as mayor for the past 
seven years and as treasurer for the past fourteen 
years, and has also served on the school board. He 
was appointed by Governor Hammond to the board 
of visitors to the state institutions but recently re- 
signed from his membership in that body. Mr! Con- 
ger's favorite recreation is a good game of the national 
diversion of baseball, which he enjoys from the stand- 
point of a former player, and he has given his support 
and influence to the encouragement of local enthu- 
siasm and the home team. In fraternal circles he was 
one of the organizers of the local lodge of the Knights 
of Pythias and is Past Chancellor and a member of 
the Grand Lodge. He is a Royal Arch Mason and 
a member of the Elks lodge at Crookston. Mr. Conger 



was married at Litchfield, to Leona Halvorson, and 
her death occurred on September 1-t, 1902. His sec- 
ond marriage was solemnized with Louise A. Heiser 
of Albert Lea, Minnesota, December 8, 1903. He has 
one child, William L. Conger, who was born in 1901 
and is a student in the junior year of the Mcintosh 
high school. 

Mr. Conger is a member of the board of managers 
of the Minnesota Society of the Sons of the Revolu- 
tion. He is also a member of the executive council 
of the State Bankers association from the Ninth con- 
gressional district, and has served as president of the 
Ninth district group of bankers. He also served as 
vice president and director of the Northern Minne- 
sota Development association and as president of the 
Commercial club. 



MARTIN BENSEN. 



Having reached a position of substantial wordly 
comfort and consequence, good social standing and 
influence in local public affairs wholly through his 
own efforts and by perseverance and industry and 
good management, although encountering many diffi- 
culties and being called on to endure many privations, 
Martin Bensen, one of the successful, progressive and 
prosperous farmers of Knute township, Polk county, 
is entitled to great credit for his steady advancement 
in every part of his career, and justly enjoys in 
full measure the esteem and good will of all who know 
him. 

Mr. Bensen is a native of Norway, where his life 
began December 28, 1859. He is a son of Bearnt L. 
and Bertha Mary (Christianson) Bensen, also Norwe- 
gians by nativity and parentage. The father came 
to the United States in 1867 and located in Dakota 
county, Minnesota. In 1869 the mother brought the 
children then living in the family over and the resi- 
dence in Dakota county was maintained until 1883. 
But in 1882 the father came to Polk county and took 
a homestead in "Woodside township, and the next 
spring the family moved to that tract of laud in the 



wilderness. The parents remained on it until old 
age compelled their retirement from active pursuits. 
They then made their home with their children, liv- 
ing awhile with their son Martin and afterward with 
their daughter, Mrs. M. B. Nelson, in Knute township, 
where they died, the mother on October 11, 1909, at 
the age of eighty-five years and the father on Sep- 
tember 9, 1912, aged nearly ninety-three. 

Martin Bensen was the fifth of the eight children 
born to his parents. He was reared on the parental 
homestead and obtained a common school education. 
Being a farmer's sou he naturally took to the occupa- 
tion of his father, and to this he has ever since stead- 
fastly adhered. In the spring of 1883 he took up a 
homestead in section 22, Knute township, and on the 
160 acres of good land of which he thereby became 
possessed he has passed all of his subsequent years. 
But he has added to his estate as he has made head- 
way, and now owns 600 acres, improved with good 
buildings and other necessarj^ structures and nearly 
all under systematic and skillful cultivation. He has 
taken an active part in the public affairs of his town- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



163 



ship and has served it wisely and faithfully as con- 
stable and supervisor. 

On April 14, 1886, Mr. Bensen was married iu Da- 
kota county to Miss Marj- Sjolie, who was boni in 
that county December 27, 1865, a daughter of Mar- 
tin and Engebord Sjolie, natives of Norway who came 
to this country in 1864 or 1865 and settled in Dakota 
county, where the father died when he was about fifty- 
five years of age. The mother is still living. Mr. and 



Mrs. Bensen have had eleven children, ten of whom 
are living. They are Benjamin, Ida, Guida, Louis, 
Malton, Minnie, Joseph, Martha, Myrtle and Georgia. 
The other child, a daughter named Lavine, strayed 
away from home in the early spring of 1892 and was 
found frozen to death about a mUe distant. She was 
two years old at the time. The parents are members 
of the United Lutheran church and active in all its 
work for the improvement of the community. 



EINAR 0. MELSNESS. 



Conducting his farming operations and other lines 
of business with enterprise, vigor and judgment, and 
rendering the people excellent service as clerk of 
Badger township, Einar 0. Melsness, whose fine farm 
of 240 acres near the village of Erskine is almost 
wholly the product of his own industry, skill and good 
management, is a highly useful and esteemed resi- 
dent of Polk county and one of its representative 
citizens. 

Mr. Melsness is a native of Dakota county, Minne- 
sota, where his life began March 23, 1872. He lived 
there with his parents until he reached the age of 
twelve, and then passed one year with them in Walsh 
county, North Dakota. In 1885 the family moved to 
Polk county and located on a farm in Badger town- 
ship. The parents. Christian 0. and Olia (Enersdat- 
ter) Melsness, were natives of Norway. The mother 
died at their Badger township home February 9, 1915, 
aged seventy-five years. The father is still living. 

Einar 0. Melsness was educated in the common 



schools and at a private college in Crookstou. For 
seven years he taught school in Polk county, but his 
principal occupation in life has been that of farming. 
During three seasons, however, lie was also occupied 
in buying and shipping grain, and throughout one 
summer he was employed in the State Bank at Er- 
skine. He has always taken an earnest interest and 
an active part in township affairs of a public nature, 
and has rendered his full share of service in their 
proper administration, having served during the last 
fifteen years as township clerk. He was also secretary 
and manager of the Erskine creamery several years. 

On April 10, 1912, Mr. Melsness was united in mar- 
riage with Miss Christine Jorgenson, a native of Bad- 
ger township and a daughter of Peter Jorgenson, of 
Erskine. They have one child, their son Martin 0. 
Mr. and Mrs. Melsness stand high in their home local- 
ity and well deserve the universal esteem in which 
they are held. 



GILBERT K. ESPESETH. 



Gilbert K. Espeseth, of Erskine, president of the 
State Bank of Erskine and prominent merchant, has 
been notably identified with the business activities of 
that place since the days of its settlement. He was 
bom in Norway, February 27, 1863, and was reared 
in his native land. In 1882 he accompanied his 
parents to this country, and a^ter a short time spent 



in Grand Forks, North Dakota, removed to Polk 
county, Minnesota, where his father, Knute Espeseth, 
took a homestead claim, being one of the pioneer set- 
tlers of Badger township. Gilbert Espeseth remained 
on the farm until 1889, when he embarked upon his 
commercial career, and in partnership with Henry T. 
Gilbertson, opened a store on the town site of Erskine, 



164 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



which had been but recently platted, and engaged in 
the hardware and agricultural implement business. 
This firm has enjoyed a prosperous and steadily grow- 
ing patronage and is one of the leading establishments 
of that region, handling furniture in addition to 
their original lines. As a business man and citizen, 
Mr. Espeseth has been widely identified with the 
gi'owth and success of the various interests of Er- 
skine and has actively promoted every project which 
would advance its prosperity. Both he and Mr. Gil- 
bertson are shareholders in the Erskine Elevator 
company and have extensive land interests in Polk 
county and elsewhere. Their commercial activities 
include the Oslo Trading company, at Oslo, Marshall 



county, Minnesota, in which they own a quarter in- 
terest each, Mr. Espeseth has been associated with 
the State Bank of Erskine, one of the flourishing 
financial institutions of the countj', since 1913 and 
in 1915, succeeded A. D. Stephens as president of 
the board of directors. Mr. Espeseth enjoys the 
confidence and esteem of his associates, his many 
activities indicating his enterprise and ability in 
all phases of his successful career. He is a member 
and an active and faithful supporter of the United 
Lutheran church. His marriage to Annie Ramseth 
occurred in 1898. She was born in Norway and has 
made her home in Polk county since childhood. They 
have tliree children, Cora, Phillip and Fritjof. 



KNUTE RYGGEN. 



The resolute and heroic mother and the filial, serv- 
iceable and praiseworthy son are presented woi'king 
together in the life story of Knute Ryggen, one of the 
enterprising, progressive and successful farmers of 
Badger township, this county. He was bom in Nor- 
way Febriiary 3, 1869, and orphaned in his boyhood 
by the death of his father, Jacob Ryggen, in that 
country. After the death of her husband the mother, 
whose maiden name was Engebord Hagden, brought 
her five children to the United States with the hope 
of bettering conditions for herself and them in this 
land of rich promise and abounding opportunities. 
They came over in 1882, and, after living one year 
in Grand Forks, North Dakota, moved to Polk county, 
Minnesota, where the son took up a homestead of 160 
acres of government land on which the familj^ has 
since resided. Mr. Ryggen and his brother Arne 
worked hard improving this new home in the wilder- 



ness, and so well applied have been their labors and so 
wisely have they managed their afl:'aii-s that they 
now together owti and have under cultivation 500 
acres improved with good buildings and equipped 
with all the requisites for advanced and systematic 
fannhig according to the most approved present-day 
methods. The mother is still living and she, also, 
still has her home in Badger township, this county. 
Her fidelity to her children has been rewarded by 
the realization of all her hopes of good fortune in the 
New World, and slie furnishes in her career a shining 
proof that devotion to duty bi'ings its own rewai'd, 
and sometimes, at least, in a substantial, tangible way 
that is patent to all observers. All the members of the 
family belong to the United Lutheran church and take 
an active part in the affairs of the congi'egation in 
which they are enrolled. 



MARTIN B. NELSON. 



This progressive and prosperous Knute township 
farmer is one of the substantial and enterprising 
citizens of Polk county, and for thirty-two years he 
has been active in helping to build up, develop and 



improve it in a judicious and commendable way, add- 
ing to its material wealth and aiding in directing 
its public affairs along lines of wholesome progress. 
He is a native of Norway, where his life began 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



16E 



March 30, 1857, and where he lived until 1880, 
when he determined to seek his fortune in the New 
World. He landed at Quebec, Canada, but soon 
afterward came over into "the States" and took up 
his residence in Wisconsin. About a year later he 
changed his base of operations to Northfield, Minne- 
sota, and in 1883 he moved to Polk county, 
Minnesota, and took up a homestead in sections 10 
and 15, Kunte township, on which he has since made 
his home and expended his energies to good purpose. 

Mr. Nelson now owns 310 acres of choice land 
improved witli good buildings and furnished with 
all the most approved appliances for systematic and 
advanced farming. His land lies partly in Knute 
and partly in Badger township, and he has brought 
it all to a high state of prodvictiveness and made his 
home attractive in appearance as well as comfort- 
able in equipment and a model in scientific and up- 
to-date tillage. 

On December 12, 1883, Mr. Nelson was married in 
Crookston to Miss Mary Benson, who was born in 
Norway Februaiy 25, 1865, the daughter of B. L. 
and Bertha Mary Benson, also natives of Norway. 
The father came to this country in 1867 and located 
in Dakota county, Minnesota, and in 1869 the mother 
came over with her children and joined him. They 



lived in Dakota county until 1883. In 1882 the 
father came to Polk county and took up a home- 
stead in AVoodside township to which the family 
moved the next spring. The parents occupied and 
improved this homestead until they retired from 
active work, when they made their home with their 
daughter, Mrs. Nelson. The mother died on Mr. 
Nelson's farm October 11, 1909, when she was eighty- 
five years old, and the father September 9, 1912, 
in his ninety-third year. 

These venerable pioneers were the parents of eight 
children. Anna M. became the wife of Nels Lillemoe 
and died in 1907. Louis lived in the village of Er- 
skine. Christian died a number of years ago. Martha 
is the wife of Julius Bradley. Martin and Bernt are 
residents of Knute township. Mary is the wife of 
]\Ix'. Nelson and Gida died when twelve years of age. 

Mr. and Mrs. Nelson have ten children, Bernhard, 
Melvin, Bertha (the wife of Melvin Peterson), Gilbert, 
Nicalie B., Alfred, Moses, Oscar Robert, Martin L. 
and Eunice M. The parents are members of the 
United Lutheran church. They take an active part 
in all its undertakings and also manifest an earnest 
and serviceable interest in all good agencies working 
for the general welfare and happiness of their home 
community. 



OLOF STARDIG. 



Having come to Polk county in the early days of 
its history, while a large part of it was still a wil- 
derness, sparsely settled and almost without the ordi- 
nary conveniences of life and destitute of all the 
advantages brought about by civilization, Olof Star- 
dig, now one of the prosperous and substantial farm- 
ei-s of Knute township, saw all the hardships and 
privations of frontier life and met thetn with the 
heroic courage of a hardy and resolute pioneer, 
daunted by no danger and deterred by no difficulty 
in his determination to win a home and a position of 
comfort and standing in the New World. 

Mr. Stardig was bom in Sweden May 4, 1848, and 



remained in his native land until 1882. In Decem- 
ber of that year he emigrated to America and located 
in Douglas county, Minnesota. In August, 1883, he 
came to Polk county and filed on 160 acres of land 
in Knute township, but returned to Douglas county 
and remained there until January, 1884. At that 
time he took up his residence on his Polk county claim, 
after building a log cabin, the logs for which he car- 
ried on his shoulder through about three feet of snow. 
He had left his family in Sweden and, as he had but 
$3 in money, he was unable to send for his wife and 
children until spring. In the meantime he worked 
out at whatever he could get to do, and was thankful 



166 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



for any cmploymeut tliat was given liiiu. He saved 
his earnings with scrupulous care and in the spring 
of 1884 was able to bring his family to his new home 
in the wilds. 

From that time until now Mr. Stardig has con- 
tinued to improve his fann, and liy his .steady and 
well applied industry he has made it one of the best 
in his township. The log cabin has been replaced by 
a comfortable modern dwelling house and other build- 
ings have been erected as need required and the finan- 
cial progress of the family permitted, and during all 
the passing years close and studious attention has 
been given to the cultivation of the land and the ap- 
plication of new discoveries in agricultural science 



for its improvement and the expansion of its fruit- 
fulness. 

Mr. Stardig was married in Sweden to ^liss Marina 
Ostenson, who was bom in that countiy October 1, 
1846. They have had nine children, .seven of whom 
are living: Otto, Sebner, Anton, Ida, Albert W., Min- 
nie and Emilj'. A daughter named Anna died when 
slie was eleven yeai's old and a son named Mortiu 
passed away at Grand Rapids, Minnesota, when he 
was about thirty. The parents are members of the 
Swedish Lutheran church. The father has held the 
office of supei'vi.sor in Knute township for a number 
of years and that of school treasurer for a much larger 
number. 



LEVOR A. BJELLA. 



Levor A. Bjella, a well knowu contractor and 
builder of Mcintosh, is a native of Norway, where he 
was bom March 31, 1876. He gi'ew to manhood in 
his native land and came to the United States when 
nineteen years of age. He came directly to Minne- 
sota and for two years was employed in farm laljor 
in Nonnan county. In 1897 he entered the carpenter 
business and during the three years of his operations 
in that trade, became an efficient and successful work- 
man. He located in Mcintosh in July, 1900, and for 
two years was employed with his brother in black- 



smith work and then engaged in tlie contracting and 
building business and has since given his attention to 
his rapidly gi-owiug trade; his tliorough technical 
training and business ability mai-king him as the 
leading contractor in Mcintosh. Mr. Bjella is a 
member of the Synod Lutheran church. His mari'iage 
to Amelia Erickson occun-ed July 10, 1903, at Mcin- 
tosh. She was born in Freeborn county, Minnesota, 
and is of Norwegian parentage. Mr. Bjella and his 
wife have si.x children, Anna, Oscar, Laura, Oliver, 
Kalmer, and Mabel. 



TALLAK H. AAKHUS. 



This gentleman, who is one of the enterprising and 
successful farmers of King township, this county, 
came to the United States in his youth in search of 
better opportunities than he thought his native 
land of Norway promised. He has been successful 
in his quest, having won a good estate and prom- 
inence among the people by his industiy, frugality 
and good management and his abiding and service- 
able interest in the welfare of the land of his adop- 
tion, and especially the .section of it in which he lives. 
He was born October 9, 1864, and emigi-ated to Amer- 
ica in 1881. 



Landing at New York when he arrived on this side 
of the Atlantic, he found the East unattractive to 
him and came at once to Polk county, Minnesota, lo- 
cating at Fisher's Landing. He lived there about a 
year and a half, working out at farm labor. He then 
went to the Paeitic coast and passed six years in the 
states of Washington and Oregon. Returning to Polk 
county at the end of that period, he purchased 160 
acres of land adjacent to the vilhige of ^Mcintosh, and 
on this tract he is still living. 

Mr. Aakhus has improved his farm with good build- 
ings and has it all under cultivation. He has taken 




liILlAS STEEXEK80X 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



167 



an earnest interest and an active part in local public 
affairs and has filled the offices of constable, town- 
ship treasurer, supei-visor and township clerk, holding 
the last named several years. He is also chaiinnan of 
the board of supervisors of King township for a num- 
ber of years, and has long been one of the leading 
promoters of educational interests and activities in 
that township. 

Mr. Aakhus has been married three times. His first 
marriage was with Miss Anna Torbinson and took 
place in Grand Forks. She was bom in Minnesota 
but of Norwegian parentage. Five children were bom 
of the union, Halvor, Torbjor, Theo, Olaf and Ben- 
jamin. Torbjor is now the wife of N. W. Phillips. 
The mother of these children died in King township 



May 11, 1904, and the father was married some time 
afterward to Miss Anna Nornes, a native of King 
township, this county, and the daughter of Gunsten 
Nornes, who was one of the first settlers in that town- 
ship, where he died upward of fifty years of age. 

By his second marriage Mr. Aakhus became the 
father of one child, his son Carl. Carl's mother died 
Januaiy 28, 1907, and afterward his father married 
his present wife, who was iMiss Engeborg Nornes, a 
sister of his second wife. The offspring of this union 
numbers five, Andy, Arnold, Melvin, Harold and 
Thelma. All the members of the family belong to 
and are active in the work of the United Lutheran 
church. 



IVER JOHNSON. 



This gentleman, who is the present capable and 
obliging postmaster of the thriving village of Bel- 
trami, Polk county, has had a somewhat varied and 
interesting career, through which he has worked his 
way by his own pluck and ability, making evei'y ad- 
vance in his progress a stepping stone to something 
better. He is a native of Norway, where his life be- 
gan March 27, 1871, and where he lived until 1882, 
when he emigrated with his parents to the United 
States and found a new home in the New "World in 
Ottertail county, Minnesota. The next year the fam- 
ily moved to Polk county, and for a few succeeding 
years lived in Garfield township. 

In 1892, when Mr. Johnson was just twenty-one 
years old, he took up his residence in the village of 
Beltrami, and there he was employed as a clerk in a 
store for about four years. At the end of that time 



he attended the Grand Forks college for a year, and 
on his return to Beltrami he engaged in mercantile 
business on his own account. In the spring of 1904 
he was appointed postmaster of Beltrami, and this 
office he has filled with acceptability to the people 
ever since. He has always taken a warm interest in 
the welfare of the village, and has given it excellent 
sei'vice as village recorder, and the township the same 
in the capacity of township clerk and justice of the 
peace. In addition to his business and other holdings 
in Beltrami he owns fifty-five acres of good land in 
Reis township, which is close to the village and stead- 
ily increasing in value. On February 9, 1907, Sir. 
Johnson was married to Miss Matilda Agneberg. They 
have four children living, Norman J., Ignatius M., 
Constance B. and Katharine M. The religious affilia- 
tion of the family is with the Lutheran church. 



ELIAS STEENERSON. 



Elia« Steenerson was bom in Houston county, Rushford, Minnesota. In the spring of 1876, he 

Minnesota, November 4, 1856. He worked on his took a teacher's examination, securing a certificate 

father's farm and attended the district school in the to teach; but he did not then take up that line of 

town of Sheldon and a term in the graded school at work, as different plans were in progress, his parents 



168 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



having decided to move to the Red River Valley, and 
Elias was eager to follow Greeley's advice to "go 
AVest and grow up with the coimtiy. " 

In September, 1876, he started for the Red River 
Valley with a team and a covered wagon, several 
head of horses, cattle, and sheep, belonging to his 
father, who had taken a homestead in the town of 
Vineland in 1875, and who was establishing a new 
home in the west where all his sons and daughters 
could become land owners if they wished to. He 
arrived at Sand Hill River, town of Vineland, 
November 3, 1876, after a six weeks' journey in the 
then modern prairie schooner. Few men are more 
intimately identified with the settlement and develop- 
ment of Polk county than the subject of this sketch. 

In the winter of 1876-1877 he taught school in 
District No. 5, Polk county, a territorj^ embracing 
nearly two townships. The school was held at the 
homes of the scattered settlers along the Red river, 
between Marsh and Sand Hill rivers, at periods of 
two weeks at each place, so as to get all children of 
school age enrolled. 

He applied to purchase the east half of the south- 
east quarter and the east half of the northeast quar- 
ter, section twenty-five, township one hundred forty- 
eight, range forty-nine, fi-om the railroad company, 
and also pre-empted the southeast quarter, section 
six, township one hundred forty-seven, range forty- 
eight. He secured the title to these lands by purchase 
from the railroad company and by homestead from 
the Government. He still owns these lands and takes 
pi'ide in the fact that there is no mortgage on them. 
He has added some to this acreage, and through a 
renter fanns six hundred acres near Climax; he 
calls his farm Walhalla. 

In 1879 he was selling machinery in Caledonia, 
North Dakota, and in 1880 in Grand Forks. In 1881 
he established himself with his brother as the firm of 
Steenerson Brothers at Fisher and Crookston, deal- 
ing in Walter A. Wood's harvesting and other ma- 
chinery. He claims the distinction of selling and 
delivering the first twine binder in Polk county. The 



firm distributed forty-two twine binders from Fisher, 
and forty from Crookston in that year. The same 
year the firm opened a genei-al store at Fisher. He 
was mayor and postmaster of Fisher for several years. 

In 1887 the firm retired from machinery and mer- 
cantile business and our subject moved to Crookston, 
where he opened a real estate and insurance office, 
devoting a large portion of his time to farm insur- 
ance, which cari'ied him all over the county and gave 
him an intimate acquaintance with the farmers such 
as few others enjoy. 

He has been identified with the farmers' movement 
in many ways. In 1892 he instituted the famous 
Steenerson Grain Rate Case which established the 
principal of State control of Railways. He has been 
delegate to various farmers' and marketing conven- 
tions. He helped to create the sentiment which 
brought about legislation for the Railway and Ware 
House Commission; for grain inspection and grad- 
ing ; for the reclaiming of swamp and over-flow lands 
by a system of state drainage; and for extending the 
College of Agriculture by establishing branch agri- 
cultural schools throughout the state as part of the 
University — in particular in the Northwest School of 
Agriculture, located at Crookston. He is an advo- 
cate of placing boards of trade and chambers of com- 
merce under control of the state. 

In 1900 he traveled over the Northwest as special 
agent for the Connecticut Fire Insurance Company, 
lu 1901 he was interested in lumbering near Black- 
duek, Beltrami county, and furnished the lumber that 
built the fii*st houses in that village. In 1904 he was 
appointed postmaster at Crookston by President 
Roosevelt, and was re-appointed in 1909 and served 
with distinction until succeeded by a Democrat, in 
July, 1913. During his incumbency tlie Crookston 
postoffiee was raised to a high standard of efficiencj' 
and cleanliness. The rural delivery system was in- 
creased from two carriers to six, giving service to 
within a mile of every farmer within a radius of 
sixteen miles from Crookston. A Federal building 
was built during his term, the furnishing of which 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



he well knew how to provide, and where he presided 
for several yeai-s with dignity and decorum. 

In 1914 he resided part of the time in Minneapolis, 
and at the solicitation of his farmer friends, he filed on 
the Republican ticket for Lieutenant Governor, and, 
although scarcely making an effort worth mentioning, 
he made a run that threw the scare into his opponent 
and the machine politicians who supported him, re- 
ceiving a total vote of nearly seventy-eight thousand 
(78,000), and cariying every county in the Ninth 
Congressional District with big majorities. 

In the spring of 1915 he returned to Crookston to 
live where he has a neat and cozy home, and is again 
to be found at his desk in his office, on Main Street, 
where he conducts a real estate and insurance busi- 
ness, and looks after his farming interests through- 



169 

out the county. He is a member of the Crookston 
Lodge of Elks No. 342, and the Native Sons of Min- 
nesota. He is a liberal contributor to all public 
enterprises. 

Mr. Steenerson was married in 1884 to Oliama 
Iloug. They have had one son, Vivian, a promising 
young man who died at the age of twenty-one years. 
Mr. and Mrs. Steenerson enjoy traveling, and spend 
part of their time in that manner, having visited 
nearly all points of interest in North America, in- 
cluding Mexico and Cuba. Their next trip will be 
to Europe, and were it not for the great war they 
would be there at this writing. Mr. and Mrs. Steener- 
son hold membership in the Lutheran church, where 
Mrs. Steenerson takes an active part. 



HOGEN B. HOGENSON. 



This useful citizen of Polk county and resident of 
the village of Fertile for years met the requirements 
of duty as an industrious and successful home-steader 
and farmer, redeeming a tract of virgin land from 
the wilderness and making it fruitful with the prod- 
ucts of systematic cultivation, and he is now engaged 
in ministering to the comfort and general welfare of 
a large number of persons as the United States mail 
carrier on Rural Route No. 2 running out of Fertile. 
He was bom in Norway December 27, 1859, the sou 
of Thorsten and Guro (Hanson) Hogenson, and 
passed the first thirteen years of his life in his native 
land. 

His mother died in Norway, and in 1872 he came 
with his father to the United States. They located 
in Olmsted county, Minnesota, where the son lived 
until he reached the age of twenty-two. He then 
changed his residence to Polk county and entered a 
homestead in Garden township. On this homestead 
he continued to live and labor, breaking up and cul- 
tivating his land and making needed improvements 
year after year, until August, 1905, transforming his 
wild claim into a good farm and a comfortable home 



in his twenty-two years of residence and well applied 
industry on it. 

In August, 1905, he moved to Fertile and was ap- 
pointed rural mail carrier on Route No. 2, in which 
capacity he has ever since rendered excellent service 
to the public. His farm comprises 200 acres and is 
well developed and improved. Wliile living on it 
Mr. Hogenson filled several township offices with 
credit to himself and benefit to his township. He 
served as assessor, justice of the peace, chairman of 
the board of supervisors and member of the school 
board, taking an active part in all township affairs 
and helping to develop and advance the locality by 
all the means available to him. His work in the town- 
ship is appreciated and the people there have high 
regard for him because of his genuine worth and the 
service he rendered them. 

In church connection Mr. Hogenson is a Lutheran. 
He was married in Olmsted county, Minnesota, June 
3, 1882, to Miss Gunnild Gunnufson, who was born 
and reared in this state. She died September 8, 1914, 
at the age of fifty-four years leaving eight children : 
Anna, Thomas, John, Christine, Ida, Clara, Helmar 



170 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



and Gladys. A sou named Hogen died when lie was 
five years old. Anna became the wife of All)ert Holm 
and died June 20, 1908. Christine is the wife of Wil- 



liam Olson, who is a farmer and lives in Garden town- 
ship. 



JOHN A. ERIKSON. 



Although a native of the state of Wisconsin, John 
A. Erikson, a prominent hardware and farmiun; imple- 
ments merchant of Fertile has been a I'esident of Polk 
county, Minnesota, for thirty-three years and of the 
village of Fertile for twenty-eight. He is therefore 
fully in touch with the people of this county and has 
an earnest interest in all their a.spirations and under- 
takings for advancement and elevation in their stand- 
ards of living, and he has contributed his full portion 
of the effort necessary to promote their w-elfare. 

Mr. Erikson is the son of Hemming and Elizabeth 
(Johnson) Erikson. They were both Norwegian by 
birth. The father came to the United States in 1854 
and took up his residence on a homestead he entered 
in Waushara county, Wisconsin, near the village of 
Mount Morris. There his son John A. was born 
June 19, 1867, and there the family lived until April 
26, 1882, when the family home was changed to Lib- 
erty township in this county. In 1904 the father sold 
his Polk county farm, and since then he has made his 
home in Minneapolis. 

John A. Erikson remained on his father's farm in 
Liberty township until September 1, 1887, when he 
changed his residence to the village of Fertile and took 
a position in the employ of George Kronschnabel, who 
was then conducting the leading hardware store in 
the village. Mr. Erikson later became his partner in 



this business and they were associated in the manage- 
ment of it until June, 1896, when Mr. Kronschnabel 
sold his interest in the firm to W. L. Vannet, with 
whom Mr. Erikson was in partnership until 1906. 
Since then he has carried on the business alone, carry- 
ing an extensive stock of hardware and farming im- 
plements and building up a large and active trade 
throughout a considerable scope of country. 

By his activity in behalf of every project designed 
to build up and improve his home community Mr. 
Erikson has made himself an important factor in pro- 
moting the progress of this region and won the esteem 
of its residents as one of its most enterprising, public- 
spirited and sei-viceable citizens. He has served as 
assistant postmaster and for over four years has been 
seeretai-y of the Commercial club. Frateraally he be- 
longs to the Woodmen of the World and in religious 
affiliation to the United Lutheran church. 

Feeling that his education was deficient when neap- 
ing the dawni of his manhood, Mr. Erikson attended 
the Central school in Crookston in the winter of 1886- 
87, and for a short time in the late summer of 1887 
he was employed as a clerk by Charles M. Old at Bel- 
trami. He was married in Faribault, Minnesota, in 
1902, to Miss Carrie Oehler, who was born in Iowa. 
They have two children, their sons Earl and Luther. 



HARRY M. HALVORSON. 



Although he was bom and reared on a farm and 
has himself followed farming, Harry M. Halvorson's 
taste and inclination have always been toward busi- 
ness, and the greater part of his life since reaching 
maturity has been passed in business operations, 
chiefly as a liveryman, which he is at present, and 



one of the leadei-s in his line in Polk county. He is 
studious of his calling and makes evei-y effort to keep 
his equipment for it strictly up to date, and he also 
studies his trade and strives vrith all his resources to 
meet every requirement of his patrons. 

Mr. Halvorson is wholly a product of Polk county 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



171 



and a representative man among its people. His life 
began on his father's farm in Liberty township June 
23, 1891, and he continued to live there until he 
reached the age of twenty years, obtaining a common 
school education at the school in the neighborhood of 
his home. He also worked on the farm from the time 
when he was big and strong enough to do it until he 
left the parental rooftree and started out in life to 
make his own way in the world. 

Mr. Halvoi'son is a son of Hans and Hamiah 
(Gulickson) Halvoi'son, the former a native of Nor- 
way and the latter of Iowa but of Norwegian parent- 
age. They were among the early settlers of Liberty 



township, this county, where the father entered a 
homestead in the early days and has since been en- 
gaged in farming. Seven children were born of their 
union, and of tliese their son Harry was the fifth in 
the order of birth. When he left home he rented a 
farm for a year in Scandia township and then took 
charge of one in Rice township for a few months. In 
December, 1913, he purchased the livery business and 
outfit of J. I. Hamre in Fertile, and to the manage- 
ment of that business he has since devoted himself 
with constant industry, good ability and profitable 
results. He is an excellent citizen and esteemed as 
such throughout the community. 



THORVALD A. BYDAL. 



Thorvald A. Bydal, of East Grand Forks, a well 
known citizen and leading merchant of that place, 
was born in Norway, May 8, 1865. He remained in 
his native land until twenty years of age, when he 
came to the United States and for a year resided in 
Portage county, Wisconsin. In 1886 he remoA'ed to 
Polk county and became associated with the grocery 
trade as a clerk in a store in East Grand Forks and 
continued in that employment for a number of years, 
making his independent venture in the commercial 
world in 1907. In May of that year he opened a gro- 
cery store under the firm name of Bydal & Bydal and 
has since devoted his attention to the successful man- 
agement of that business. This store is one of the 
largest and most attractive in that locality, furnishing 
the town with excellent trading facilities and enjoys 



a steady prosperity and lucrative patronage which 
attests to the ability and integi'ity of its management. 
Aside from his commercial activities, Mr. Bydal is 
interested in farm lands, owning three hundred and 
twenty acres of North Dakota land. During the many 
years of his residence in the county, he has given his 
ready support to every project which tends to public 
betterment and has taken an active interest in the 
affairs of the community. He is an influential mem- 
ber of the Commercial club and one of its directors. 
Also vice president of the Retail Merchants association 
of East Grand Forks and Grand Forks. Mr. Bydal 
was married in Minneapolis, October 12, 1903, to 
Anna Leewy, who, like her husband, is a native of 
Norway. They have one child, Laila. 



WILLIAM STREET. 



Being one of the extensive, progressive and success- 
ful farmera of Reis township, this county, William 
Street is a useful and stimulating force in the part 
of the county in which he lives and has done a gi-eat 
deal toward helping it to progress to its full develop- 
ment and most advanced improvement. He also han- 
dles live stock extensively, and in this branch of his 



industry he is an additional help to the industrial 
and commercial activities of his township and the 
Northwest in general. 

Mr. Street was bom near the town of Ringwood, 
Hampshire, England, November 6, 1845, and was 
reared on his father's farm there and educated at the 
school in the neighborhood. From his boyhood he 



172 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



looked forward to fanning as his chosen occupation 
for life, and through all his subsequent years he has 
largely adliered to this choice. In 1873 he emigrated 
to the United States and took up his residence at 
Glyndon, Clay county, Minnesota, and there, for a 
few months, was employed by the Northern Pacific 
Railroad. While railroad work was not entirely to 
his liking it pleased him well enough to hold him for 
the next five years, during which he was in the employ 
of the Great Northern company, earning fair wages 
and saving them for future use. 

At the end of the period named he once more turned 
his attention to farming, becoming foreman on the 
large W. H. Fisher farm in Norman county, and serv- 
ing there in that capacity thirteen years. In 1891 he 
engaged in farming for himself, taking up a home- 
stead in Section 22, Reis township, this county, which 
he lived on and improved as his home until 1897. He 
then took school land on Section 16 of the same town- 



ship, and on this he has ever since resided. But he 
has added to his holdings until he now owns 640 acres, 
all of which he has improved and brought to a high 
state of productiveness. In addition to his farming 
operations, which are of a general character, he han- 
dles live stock in considerable numbers, having at the 
time of this writing (Nov. 1, 1915), some 22 head of 
horses, 90 of cattle and 50 of hogs. 

Mr. Street has always taken an earnest interest and 
an active part in the public affairs of his township 
and county. He has acceptably filled several local 
offices and was one of the principal men in organiz- 
ing the Beltrami Co-operative Creamery company, in 
which he is still largely interested. In the spring of 
1892 he was married in Crookston to Miss Lizzie Sav- 
age, who is a native of Faribault, Minnesota. They 
have six children, Emma, William, Walter, JIabel, 
Clara and Herbert. Emma is now the wife of Dr. 
Fred Lvman. 



OLE A. THORESON. 



Ole A. Thoreson, a former postmaster at East Grand 
Forks and a Avell kno\^^l citizen of Polk county, was 
bom in the northern part of Norway, in the parish of 
Bardo, December 26, 1845. The early years of his 
life were spent in his native land, where he lived until 
he was sixteen years of age, when in the spring of 
1862, his parents brought their family to the United 
States, making St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin their des- 
tination. Shortly afterwards they took homesteads 
north of St. Croix Falls in Burnett county, which 
was the home of Ole Thoreson for a number of years 
during wliich he engaged in farming and was actively 
associated with the public interests and political af- 
fairs and was elected to the oflSces of county auditor 
and county commissioner. After spending about fif- 
teen years in Wisconsin he became desirous of remov- 
ing westward and in 1877 visited Polk county, look- 
ing for a new location for his agricultural activities. 
About one j'ear later he came to Polk county and took 
a preemption claim of one hundred and sixtj' acres 



in Sullivan towniship. He devoted his attention to 
the development and improvement of the farm until 
1889 when he was appointed postmaster of East Grand 
Forks by President Harrison and served in that office 
for four years. In 1902 he was again called to public 
service, being elected probate judge of Polk county 
and in 1904 was returned to the office but resigned 
before the end of his term to accept his second appoint- 
ment as postmaster of East Grand Forks, and con- 
tinued in office through the administrations of Roose- 
velt and Taft. Through the many years of public 
service which have marked his career vdth honor and 
merit, Mr. Thoreson has met all the demands of his 
position with an efficiency and diligence that have 
brought liim the confidence and unfailing support of 
his constituents. As a public spirited citizen and 
successful farmer, his influence has been exerted in 
all phases of the rapid development of the eountr>' 
which he entered as a pioneer. He is a member of 
the Lutheran church, of which he has always been a 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



173 



faithful aud generous supporter and has been actively 
interested in the extension of its activities, having 
been prominently associated with the erection of two 
churches, one in Wisconsin and in the First Lutheran 
church in Grand Forks. Mr. Thoreson was married 
at Grantsburg, Burnett county, Wisconsin, December 
31, 1876, to Albertiua Hilnian, who like her husband 
is a native of Norway, born at Frederickshald, Novem- 
ber 25, 1855. She came to the United States with her 
parents when ten years of age and after residing for 



several years in Lafayette and Green counties, the 
family settled in Burnett county, which remained the 
home of Mrs. Thoreson until shoi"tly after her mar- 
riage. Seven children were born to Mr. Thoi'eson and 
his wife, of whom five are now living. The death of 
a daughter. Alma Thoreson, occurred November 11, 
1911, in her thirtieth year and that of another daugh- 
ter in her infancy. The surviving members of the 
family are, Ida H., Theresa E., Olaf A., Hannah M. 
and Elmer T. 



CHARLES STREET. 



This enterprising and successful farmer of Reis 
township, this county, is a younger brother of William 
Street, a sketch of whom will be found in this volume, 
and is living on the old homestead taken up by his 
brother William in Section 22, which was the first 
home of the latter in Polk county. Charles was boi-n 
near the town of Ringwood, in Hampshire, England, 
December 18, 1858, and was reared, like his brother 
William, on his father's farm, obtaining his education 
at the country school in the vicinity of his home. In 
August, 1884, he emigrated to the United States, and 
during the next eight years he lived in different 
places in this country and was employed at various 
occupations, doing with interest and energy whatever 
he found to do. 

In 1893 he became a resident of Polk county, and 
for six years thereafter he was in the employ of his 
brother William. He then bought his brother's old 



homestead of 160 acres in Section 22, Reis township, 
and on this he has expended his time and energies in 
a general farming enterprise ever since. He is a pro- 
gressive and studious man, and has brought to bear 
on his farming operations whatever he has been able 
to learn by study and obsei-vation that has seemed 
likely to improve his methods and accelerate his prog- 
ress. His farm is an example of the good results of 
forethought and intelligence as applied to modern 
agriculture, and he is, besides, an excellent citizen 
with a broad-minded and public-spirited interest in 
all the public alfairs of his township and county. lie 
has found good opportunities for his industry and 
enterprise in this country, and has profited by them. 
The countiy has also been the gainer by his having 
selected it as the seat of his operations, and he is 
highly respected as a thi'ifty and upright man by 
all who know him. 



WILBUR G. LYTLE. 



Having given up active pursuits of a laborious kind 
and taken up his residence in Crookston, where he 
is living retired, Wilbur G. Lytle, formerly one of 
the enterprising and progressive farmers of Polk 
county, is enjoying in the quiet way agreeable to him 
the fruits of his long and arduous labors during tlie 
years of his greater activity. He was born at Lisbon, 
St. Lawrence county. New York, August 10, 1845, the 



son of John A. and Lucinda (Scripture) Lawrence; 
the former a native of the state of New York and the 
latter of Vermont. They were farmers and both died 
in St. Lawrence county, New York, where they passed 
the greater part of their lives. 

Wilbur G. Lytle remained at home assisting his 
father on the farm until he reached the age of eight- 
een. He then came West and located at Bronson, 



174 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COLNTY 



Branch county, Michigan, where he followed farm- 
ing and lumbering for nearly four j'ears. At the end 
of the period named he returned to his native county 
and again devoted his energies to farming there for 
a number of years. But the West still wore a winning 
Biiiiie for liim iuid he came to St. Croix county, "Wis- 
consin, where he operated a grain elevator and also 
farmed until 1877. In June of that year he changed 
his base of operations to Polk county, Minnesota, and 
located on a farm in Andover township. This farm 
he sold in 1908, but has lived in Crookston since 1888, 
and for some years has been nearly free from business 
eai'es. 

Mr. Lytic has always taken an active interest in 
public affairs and has filled several local offices in 
Andover township with credit to himself and benefit 
to the township. He has l)cen the owner of a consider- 
able amount of real estate- in this county. On Decem- 



ber 20, 1876, he was married at Richville, New York, 
to Miss Mary Fisk, a native of the same county as 
himself and born August 10, 1855. She is the daugh- 
ter of Edwin R. and Ruth A. (Brown) Fisk, the for- 
mer born in the city of Rutland, Vermont, and the 
latter in St. Lawrence county, New York. They came 
to Polk county, Minnesota, in 1882, and here they 
passed the remainder of their lives, dying well ad- 
vanced in years and high in general esteem. 

Mr. and Mrs. Lytic are cordial supporters of the 
Congregational chui'ch and all its work for the im- 
provement of the community. Mr. Lytic is a member 
of the Masonic Order, in which he has reached the 
rank of Knight Tcmplai-. He has served as warden 
of Constantine Commander\- No. 20 for more than 
twenty years and still fills that office. Has been a 
member of Blue Tjodge for forty-eight years. 



JOHN HELDSTAB. 



Starting in life for himself at the age of twenty-one, 
with nothing but his strong arm, clear head and de- 
termined spirit as capital, the late John Hcldstab, one 
of the enterprising and successful business men of 
Crookston, steadily pursued his way through a variety 
of trials and occupations to consequence in a worldly 
way and a position of high esteem and regard among 
the people of the city in which tlie greater part of 
his activities were shown. 

Mr. Heldstab was a native of Switzerland, born in 
the city of Davos, December 2, I860, where he was 
reared on a farm and remained until he reached the 
age of twenty-one. He was the son of Honus and 
Anna (Travaner) Heldstab. Both parents died in 
Switzerland. In the spring of 1882 he came to the 
Ignited States in company with his brothers, Chris- 
tian and Martin, and located at Alma, Buffalo county, 
Wisconsin. In that locality he worked for about one 
year at farm labor. Early in 1883 he changed his 
residence to Crookston, Minnesota, and here also he 
worked out on farms for a few years, but passed most 



of the time in the neighborhood of Warren, in Mar- 
shal county, during this period. 

Mr. Heldstab 's next move was to form a partner- 
ship with Matthew Ridi for carrying on an active 
business in the ice trade. The partnership lasted 
only a few years, as Mr. Heldstab saw a more favor- 
able opening for his energies in a short time and sold 
his interest in the ice firm. He then turned his atten- 
tion to the draying industry and also occupied him- 
self to a considerable extent in collecting buffalo bones 
and shipping them to markets where they were in 
demand. He continued his draying business for a 
number of j-ears and then sold it to advantage. In 
1896 he purchased the ice business of John Schajitzen, 
which he conducted with increasing trade and pros- 
perity until his death at his home in Crookston, 420 
North Main street, on September 8, 1915. He was 
fifty-four years of age when he died, and twenty-two 
years of his industrious and useful life were passed in 
Northwestern Minnesota. 

During the whole of his residence in this country 



COMPENDIUM OP HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



175 



Mr. Heldstab took an earnest interest and an active 
part in the affairs of the community of his home and 
contributed essentially to its progress and develop- 
ment. He was not, however, an active political par- 
tisan and never sought or desired a public ofSce of 
any kind. His work for the advancement of his city 
and county was that of a good citizen outside of 
political contentions and hopes of direct personal 
reward except what came from the improvement of 
his locality. He belonged to the German Lutheran 
church and was one of the earliest and most active 
members of St. Paul's congregation of that sect in 
Crookston. 



On December 20, 1891, Mr. Heldstab was married 
in Crookston to Miss Lena "Weber, who was bom in 
Oberstein, Germany, November 12, 1871, and came to 
this country in 1888, when she was seventeen years 
old. Seven sons were born of their union, one of 
whom, Paul Walter, died when he was about one year 
old. The mother and six of the sons are living and 
have their homes in Polk county. The living sons 
are : John W., Gustav M., Christian R., Theodore E., 
Harold D. and Willard A. At the time of his death 
the father owned a fine farm of 320 acres, which was 
well improved and under good cultivation. 



HON. GUNDER KROSTUE. 



As a large landholder, an enterprising and success- 
ful merchant, a member of the state legislature, the 
postmaster for many years of the town of Fisher and a 
pi'ominent, influential and highly esteemed citizen, the 
late Hon. Gunder Krostue dignified, adorned and ad- 
mirably represented the best manhood and citizenship 
of Polk county in many lines of usefulness and bene- 
ficial labor and example to the locality of his home. 

Mr. Krostue was bom June 10, 1851, on a farm 
named Krostue in Saetersdahl, Norway, and was 
brought to the United States by his parents when he 
Avas but ten years old. The familj' located in Waupaca 
county, Wisconsin, where the son grew to manhood 
and obtained a limited education in the country 
schools. At an early age he began to work at farm 
labor and later was employed as a lumberman, driv- 
ing logs down the Mississippi river to St. Louis. These 
occupations, however, were too precarious and un- 
promising to satisfy his ambition, and he determined 
to do something more in line with his tastes and em- 
bodying better prospects for him. 

In 1880 Mr. Krostue took up his residence in Polk 
county, and here for a time he served as engineer with 
a threshing crew and then worked on the survey of the 
Great Northern railroad between Grand Forks and 
Crookston. Later he proved up on a homestead claim 



in Grand Porks county. North Dakota, which he then 
sold. He at once located in the town of Fisher, this 
county, and for four years thereafter was employed 
as a clerk in the store kept by Messrs. Thompson & 
Johnson. At the end of that period he entered upon 
an independent mercantile career, opening a store in 
Fisher for general merchandise and farming imple- 
ments. This proved to be one of the most successful 
of his many activities, and carried him to a promi- 
nent place in connection with the business interests 
of the county. He became an extensive landholder, 
owning some 2,100 acres of farm land near Fisher, and 
was also president of the Fisher Bank from the time 
of its organization until his death. In addition he 
served as postmaster of Fisher for many years until 
the pressure of other engagements compelled him to 
retire from the ofiSce. 

Mr. Krostue continued to live in Fisher until his 
death on July 7, 1912, when he was in his sixty-first 
year. He belonged to the class of men who rise to 
success and influence through their native ability and 
industry and win the regard of all who know them 
by their sterling worth and admirable manhood. He 
freely bestowed the gifts of his strong personality 
in the service of his fellow men and left the memory 
of many commendable accomplishments as a citizen, 



176 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



many noble traits as a friend and many wise and 
fruitful achievements through his enterprise and pub- 
lic spirit, as well as that of his eminent success as a 
business maji. 

In the public life of his community this far-seeing 
gentleman always was a trusted leader, and in the 
fall of 1902 his fellow citizens selected him as their 
representative in the lower house of the state legis- 
lature. In the session of 1903 he was chairman of the 
House committee on drainage and a member of the 
committees on grain and warehouse and roads, bridges 
and navigable streams. He was re-elected in the fall 
of 1904, and in the session of 1905 he was again chair- 
man of the comniittee on drainage and was also as- 
signed to duly oil the committees on binding twine, 
public health, dairy and food products and temper- 
ance legislation. 



In his religious aflfiliation Mr. Krostue was connected 
with the United Lutheran church, of which his widow 
is also an active member and earnest supporter, llei- 
maiden name was Christine Benson and she is tlie 
daughter of Lars Bensou. She was born in Waupaca 
county, Wisconsin, and at an early age removed with 
her parents to Goodhue county, Minnesota, where the 
family resided until the accidental death of the father 
by drowning at Red Wing. After that sad event the 
mother and her eight children changed their residence 
to Pope county, Minnesota, and there Miss Christine 
lived until her marriage to Mr. Krostue, which took 
place on December 2, 1882. Of the children born of 
their man-iage seven are living: Lawrence, who is 
a farmer, and Clara, Lottie, Myron, Theresa, Clayton 
and Glendora. Since the death of her husband Mrs. 
Krostue has continued to make her home at Fisher. 



JULIUS WENTZEL. 

Having Imnie faithfully and with good results for The land taken up by Mr. Wentzel was wholly un- 
himself and the localities in which he lived the heat cultivated and unimproved, and he began to devote 
and burden of a long day of toil, in which he experi- himself at once to transforming it into a farm ami 
eneed many privations and hardships, Julius Wentzel a good home for himself and his family. He con- 
of Crookston, one of the former prosperous and pro- tinned to live on it and develop and improve it until 
gressive farmei-s of Polk county, has retired from ac- the fall of 1909, making it over into a highly produc- 
tive pursuits and is passing the evening of his life in tive and valuable rural estate and an attractive coun- 
comfortable leisure and enjoying in a sensible and try home. In the fall of 1909 he decided to quit farm- 
nseful way the fruits of his former well-applied in- ing and all active work of a laborious character, and 
dusti-y and good management. moved to Crookston, where he has since' resided. 

Mr. Wentzel was bom jn Pnissia August 28, 1847, After taking up his residence in Crookston he sold 

and remained there until he reached the age of six- his farm. 

teen. He then came to the New W^orld and took up On December 11, 1873, IMr. Wentzel was united 

his residence for a year in the province of Quebec, in marriage with Miss Caroline Radi, who was born 

Canada, where he was variously employed. From in Prussia March 19, 1858, and came to the United 

Canada he moved to Detroit, Michigan, and there he States with her parents in 1863, when she was about 

also passed a year in work of different kinds. After five years old. The family located in Manitowoc 

that he lived in Manitowoc county, AVisconsin, until county, Wisconsin, wliere Mrs. AYentzel was reared 

January, 1878, when he came to Polk county, Minne- and where she was living at the time of her marriage, 

sota, and pre-empted a tract of 160 acres of land in She and her husband became the parents of twelve 

Lowell townsliip. children, eleven of whom are living. They are 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



177 



Charles, William, Au^st, Julius, Minnie, Anna, 
Fred, Alvina, Ida, Freda, John and Pauline, the 
youngest child, was drowned in Red Lake river at the 



village of Fisher July 22, 1910, when she was twelve 
years old. 



ROBERT ANDERSON. 



Approaching now the evening of his life in peace 
and prosperity after many years of arduous labor, 
care and the usual difficulties incident to the exist- 
ence of a farmer in the Northwest of this country, 
Robert Anderson, of East Grand Forks, has retired 
from active pursuits with an unstained record of 
clean, good and serviceable citizenship to his credit 
and favored with the esteem and good will of every- 
body who knows him. He was bom in Aberdeenshire, 
Scotland, January 28, 1847, and in June, 1874, came 
to the United States, locating temporarily at Grand 
Forks. On July 2, of the year last named he took 
up a homestead in Grand Forks township, Polk county, 
and on this he lived until the spring of 1913, when 
he gave up fai'ming and moved to the city of East 
Grand Porks. He has sold his farm and is living 
retired and free from all business cares. 

Mr. Anderson has, however, taken a very active 
and helpful part in the public affairs of Polk county 
in times past and has never lost any degree of his 
cordial and judicious interest in the county's growth 
and improvement. He was the first township clerk 



of Grand Forks, Huntsville and Rhinehart townships, 
his jurisdiction extending over the present city of 
East Grand Forks, and he held the office of clerk of 
Grand Forks township continuously until 1918 and 
that of school director of DLstrict No. 2 in that town- 
ship for thirty-six yeai-s. He was also a charter mem- 
ber of the First Presbyterian church of Grand Forks, 
and is now an elder of the Mendahall Presbyterian 
church in East Grand Forks. 

Mr. Anderson was first married April 8, 1874, to 
Miss Mary Patterson. They had four children, 
Charles H., Margaret J., Aaron L. and John H. The 
mother of these children died in Grand Porks town- 
ship August 4, 1898, and on December 19, 1906, the 
father contracted a second marriage which united 
him with Miss Jennie Rintoul, a native of Glasgow, 
Scotland, but long resident in this country. Like her 
husband, Mrs. Anderson is held in high esteem for 
her genuine worth and her warm and serviceable in- 
terest in everj'thing that contributes to the welfare of 
Polk county and the Nortliwest in general. 



AUGUST AKERLUND. 



Since March 18, 1879, August Akerhind has lived 
in Crookston and been actively and profitably engaged 
in contracting and building and general carpenter and 
cabinetmaking work. He has done liis part in help- 
ing to develop and improve the city and surrounding 
country, and many of the substantial buildings now 
standing in this part of the state are monuments to 
his industiy and ability as a builder. He was born in 
Sweden August 8, 1845, and learned the trade of a 
cabinetmaker in that country, where he remained 



until 1869, when he emigrated to this country, reach- 
ing New York November 23. 

With his arrival in this country began a new era 
in the life of ]\Ir. Akerlund. The West attracted him 
and he located at Whitehall, Illinois, and there worked 
at bridge building for about three years. He then 
changed his base of operations to Dubuque, Iowa, 
where he passed one year building bridges for the 
railroads. From Dubuque he moved to Bellevue, 
Iowa, and in that locality he turned his attention to 



178 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



factory work and house building and followed these 
lines until he came to Crookstou, aiTiviug March 18. 
1879. 

Mr. Akerlund was married at Bellevue, Iowa, May 
4, 1874, to Miss Anna Louisa Turneblad, whose life 
began in Sweden July 24, 1855. They have three chil- 
dren, Augusta, Charles and Aimer. Charles is a mail 
carrier in Crookston, and Aimer is working with and 



under the instructions of his father. The father owns 
160 acres of land in Pennington county, Minnesot-a, 
and the building in which he carries on his business 
was erected bj- himself. He has always taken a cor- 
dial interest in the welfare of the city and county of 
his home, and the people respect him highly for his 
upright life, public spirit and sterling manhood. 



MEDRIC COLLIN. 



Through many trials and difficulties and a variety 
of occupations Medric Collin, who is now one of the 
successful and prosperous merchants of Crookston, 
has made his way by persistent industry, frugality, 
pluck and good management to his present condition 
of prominence in business and substantial comfort in 
a worldly w^ay. He is the proprietor of the well 
known and popular Crookston Supply house, wdth 
which he has been connected about twenty-three years 
and which he has owned and conducted for about 
three years. 

Mr. Collin is a native of the Province of Quebec, 
Canada, where he was bom August 9, 1860, and where 
he lived until he reached the age of twenty-eight, and 
was engaged in farming during the ga'eater part of 
the time. Wlien he left his native land he took up his 
residence in Minneapolis, and there he lived and was 
variously employed until the autumn of 1892. In No- 
vember of that vear he came to Crookston and entered 



into partiiersliip with his brother, F. X. Collin, and 
together they carried on an active mercantile business 
for about twelve years under the firm name of Collin 
Bros. 

At the end of the period named the partnership 
was dissolved and the brother retired from the busi- 
ness. Since then it has been wholly owned and car- 
ried on by Mr. Collin of this sketch. 

Mr. Collin's store is widely and favorably known 
through this part of Minnesota as the Crookston Sup- 
ply hou.se, and is especially well esteemed for the ex- 
tensive stock of general merchandise which it carries, 
the superior quality of its goods, the upright and pro- 
gressive manner in which its operations are conducted 
and the enterprise which keeps it always up to date in 
the style, quality and general excellence of its mer- 
chandise. Mr. Collin stands well in the community 
and deserves tlie esteem bestowed upon him. 



CHRISTIAN T. BROWN. 



The dairy business has grown to great proportions 
in the Northwest and become very active. It sup- 
plies some of the wants and meets several of the 
requirements of a vast number of persons, increasing 
with the growth of the country and keeping pace with 
the ever expanding demands for its service. One of 
its enterprising and progressive representatives in 
this part of the country is Christian T. Brown, of 



Crookston, who has been engaged in it in that city 
since the fall of 1886. 

Mr. Brown was bom in Non\-ay, July 31, 1845, and 
was reared and educated in his native land, where he 
remained until 1882, following farming as his prin- 
cipal occupation. In August of the year last men- 
tioned he emigrated to the United States, landing at 
New York. He came at once to Crookston, and during 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



179 



the next thi'ee years he was employed in various ways 
to his advantage. In 1886 he started a mercantile 
career in the dairy trade, and in this he has ever since 
been actively' and profitably engaged. 

Some years before leaving his native laud Mr. 
Brown was married there to Miss Mary S. Johanason, 
the marriage being solemnized in 1874 in Christiania, 
the capital city of the country. Mrs. Brown was also 
a Norwegian b}' nativity and was born in 1851. They 
have had eleven children, four of whom have died. 



Three passed away in infancy, and a daughter named 
Josephine died February 17, 1904, when she was 
twenty-six years old. The children who are living 
are: Anna, who is the wife of Jacob Knudson, of 
Minneapolis; Julia, whose home is in Montana; Thea 
and Carl J., who are living -at home; Sophia, who is 
the wife of James Calverwell, of the state of Wash- 
ington; Mary, who is a teacher in Polk county, and 
Minnie, who is also living at home. 



JOHN A. 

The city of Crookston, which is the home of John 
A. Johnson, one of the leading carpenters of Polk 
county, and the country surrounding that city contain 
many evidences of the most substantial character of 
the productive usefulness of his life and his skill as a 
mechanic. For he has erected a large number of 
houses in the city and its vicinity, and they all stand 
forth visibly and tangibly to his credit. He was born 
at Smolands, Sweden, December 18, 1855, and re- 
mained in that country until 1882, growing to man- 
hood on his father 's farm and then learning his trade 
as a carpenter and working for some years in a sash 
and door factor}^ 

In the summer of 1882 Mr. Johnson emigrated to 
the United States, landing at New York and coming 
at once to Polk county. He took up his residence 
at Fisher's Landing, but moved to Crookston at once, 
and in this city he has since resided. He has made 



JOHNSON. 

working at his trade and contracting in the erection 
of buildings his principal occupation throughout his 
residence in this county, and he has reached a liigh 
rank in his business. He is also esteemed as a pro- 
gressive and public-spirited citizen deeply interested 
in the welfare of his home community. 

Mr. Johnson was married in his native place Sep- 
tember 27, 1875, to Miss Augusta Johnson, who was 
of the same nativity as himself and born April 19, 
1856. They have had twelve children, one of whom 
died in infancy. Those living are Mary, Pauline, 
Ida, Amelia, Albert, Gustav, Louisa, Esther, Eliza- 
beth, Ella and Elmer. The parents are active mem- 
bers of the Swedish Lutheran church, and the chil- 
dren have been reared in the same faith. All the 
members of the family stand well in popular esteem 
and are deservedly respected. 



KNUTE E. 
Having followed the vocation of a farmer in his 
native land of Norway, where his life began Decem- 
ber 16, 1836, and in two counties of this state in suc- 
cession, through a long career of useful and pro- 
ductive labor, Knute E. Messelt of Winger, this 
county, has rendered good service to two of the pro- 
gressive countries of the world and has lived in each 
according to the requirements of upright and manly 
citizenship. 



MESSELT. 

Mr. Messelt remained in his native land until 1869 
and was married there November 25, 1860, to Miss 
Gertrude Halvordater Evenstad, also a native of Nor- 
way and bom May 3, 1841. 

In 1869 Mr. Messelt brought his wife and the two 
children they then had to the United States and lo- 
cated in Goodhue county, Minnesota, where he lived 
for about fifteen years. In November, 1883, he came 
to Polk county and took up a homestead in Winger 



180 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



towiisliip. On this tract of land he livi'd and labored, 
cultivating and improving his farm and erecting good 
buildings on it, until the fall of 1914, when he re- 
tired from active work and moved to AVinger. He 
and his wife have had three children, Herman K., 
Ingmar K. and Carl G. Ingmar died at Mentor, Polk 
county, November 26, 1902. The other two are living. 
Carl G. Messelt was married at Winger Decem- 
ber 18, 1912, to :\riss Ellen Stai, a native of Winger 



and the daughter of Engebn-t Stai of Winger town- 
ship. They have one child, their son Conrad E. Carl 
has filled school and other offices in the township, and 
has won the esteem of the people by his sturdy and 
sterling citizenship and devotion to the welfare of his 
locality. He and his wife are zealous and consistent 
members of the Synod Lutheran church. A separate 
sketch of Mrs. Carl ^Messelt will be found in this 
volume. 



ORIN DANIELS. 



Orin Daniels, of Crookston, ex-.sheriiif of Polk county 
and a retired farmer, was born August 17, 1874, in 
Dane county, Wisconsin, and came to jMinnesota with 
his parents when eight years of age. He is the sou of 
Anun and Tone (Bergland) Daniels, the latter ii 
native of Dane county, Wisconsin. Anun Daniels was 
born in Illinois and engaged in farming in Wisconsin, 
where he enlisted in the service of his country during 
the Civil war and was an officer in his company. In 
1882 he came to Polk county and located on govern- 
ment land near Crookston, which he developed into 
a prosperous farm property and sold iu 1891. He is 
now living, at the close of a useful and active career, 
in Spokane, Wa.sliington. Orin Daniels is the only 
one of the family of eight sons and a daughter, wlio 
resides in Minnesota. He was reared on his father's 
homestead and received his education in the public 
schools of the county and for a numlwr of years de- 



voted his attention to farming activities, his first 
association with official service being in 1901, when he 
was appointed deputy sheriff under Mr. Sullivan. 
He continued to hold this po.sition for eight years, 
through the terms of office of Mr. Sullivan and his 
successor, Mr. Gonyea, becoming well known through 
the county during these years of able service and in 
1908 was elected sheriff and capably discharged the 
responsibilities of this office for two terms, being re- 
elected in 1910. Beside his official duties and public 
services, Mr. Daniels has always been actively in- 
terested in agricultural enterprises and gives some 
time to the successful management of his farm of 
two hundred and four acres. He has always been a 
loyal supporter of the Republican party and is a 
member of the Elk lodge. His marriage to Sadie 
Reindahl, of Dane county, Wisconsin, occurred in 
1903 and they have one son, Truman. 



THORE H. BANG. 



The late Thore H. Bang, whose death occurred in 
Crookston August 14, 1905, was an early settler in the 
city and helped materially to build and develop it 
from its small beginning to something near its present 
magnitude and importance as a trading, manufactur- 
ing and commercial center. He was born in Valberg, 
Norway, in 1843, and was reared and educated in that 
country, where he followed farming for some years 
after reaching his maturity. 



In 1882 Mr. Bang came to the United States and 
located iu Polk county, iMinnesota, on a homestead 
which he entered east of Crookston, and which he 
partially improved and then sold. After .selling his 
farm he took up his residence in Crookston and be- 
came a member of the city police force, on which he 
served five years. He was aftervvai'd variously em- 
jjloyed in Crookston until his death. 

Mr. Bang was married in his native land to Miss 




NATHAN P. ST(.).\K 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



181 



Anna Larson. Four of the children born of their 
union are living: Gilbert H., Charles L., Carrie (now 
Mrs. Simpson, a widow) and Laura, who is unmar- 
ried. The mother died in 1913. The father was a 
Republican in political allegiance and took an active 
part in the affairs of his party. He was well known 
throughout Polk county, and was held in esteem by 
all classes of its people. 

Gilbert and Charles Bang, the two sons of the 
household, are now operating the Crookston Bottling 
Works, which they purchased in 1908. They sell their 
products all over Northern Minnesota and in parts 
of the adjoining states, and have a large and active 
trade. They are good business men and are enterpris- 



ing and progressive in looing after the needs of the 
territory tributary to their establishment. 

Gilbert H. Bang was married in 1899 to Miss 
Thora Griebrok. They have six children, George, 
Charles, Edmund, Irene, Edna and Florence. Gil- 
bert's brother Charles was married January 6, 1906, 
to Miss Pearl Fox. Their childi-en number two, Ken- 
neth and Lillian. The brothers were both born in 
Norway, but they were brought to this county at 
early ages and here they grew to manhood and were 
educated, the greater part of their lives to the present 
time having been passed in Crookston. They are men 
of sterling worth and zealous in the performance of 
all the duties of citizenship. 



NATHAN P. STONE. 



A New Englander by nativity but having passed 
more than four-fifths of his life to the present time 
(1916) in the northwest, Nathan P. Stone, a retired 
business man of Crookston and a valued citizen of 
Polk county, has been able to acquire an accurate 
knowledge of the tendencies and aspirations of two 
widely different sections of the country and become 
well acquainted with the institutions and methods of 
thought of each, and he has profited by this sweep of 
vision and made it of advantage to the locality of his 
present home in business, in citizenship and in social 
life. 

Mr. Stone was born in Bristol county, Massachu- 
setts, January 21, 1838, the son of Mason and Abigail 
(Patten) Stone, both of the same nativity as himself. 
The father operated a cotton mill and kept a general 
store at Norton, in his native county. He also took a 
leading part in local public affairs, and was the colonel 
in command of the state militia which escorted Presi- 
dent Jackson when he made his tour through the New 
England states. The mother died in 1842, and the 
father afterward married Miss Mary Holman. He 
died in Pierce county, Wisconsin, in 1888. He was 
the father of three sons and two daughters who grew 
to maturity, and one of the sons is still living in Mas- 
sachusetts. 



Nathan P. Stone remained in his native county until 
1853, when the family moved to Pierce county, Wis- 
consin. There the father engaged in farming until 
he was elected probate judge. He afterward was 
active in the grain trade until his death. The son 
began his education at the district school in Norton 
in his native county and completed it at the academy 
in River Falls, Wisconsin. After leaving school he 
followed farming four years, then changed his resi- 
dence to Prescott, Wisconsin, and engaged in mer- 
cantile business. 

In 1879 Mr. Stone became a resident of Crookston 
and a merchant in the farm implement trade, which 
he carried on alone until 1900, when his sons, William 
M. and Walter P., were taken into partnership by him. 
Recently the father has retired from active control 
of the business and it is now conducted by the sons 
under the firm name of N. P. Stone & Co. 

Mr. Stone was married at River Falls, Wisconsin, 
in 1873, to Miss Ada L. Powell, a native of the state 
of New York and a daughter of Lyman and Lucinda 
(Taylor) Powell, who were pioneers of that state, 
locating in it in 1854. Mr. and Mrs. Stone are the 
parents of five children : William M. and Walter P., 
who are in buisness with their father; Ida P., who is 
a school teacher in Helena, Montana; Gertrude L., 



182 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



who is the wife of Thayer C. Bailey, of Bemidji, Min- 
nesota, and Lucia, who is living at home. 

In the public affairs of Crookston Mr. Stone has 
taken an active part from the time of his arrival in 
the city. He served as alderman five terms and as a 
member of the school board and its official treasur- 
er two terms. He is also a member of the charter 
commission of the city. In political faith and alle- 



giance he is a Republican, in fraternal relations a 
Freemason and in religious connection a Congrega- 
tionalist, being a tru.stee of the congregation of that 
sect. He also belongs to the Old Settlers' association 
of Polk county and is its official historian. When he 
became a resident of Crookston it was a straggling 
hamlet, and he has witnessed and taken part in all the 
phases of its growth to a city of 8,000 people. 



A. M. SIVERTSON. 



A. M. Sivertson, of Crookston, a pioneer business 
man and prominent citizen, was bom in Norway, in 
1855, the son of Sivert and Hanna (Halsteson) Sivert- 
son. His parents spent their lives in their native land 
and A. M. Sivertson remained there until his twenty- 
fifth year, employed in farm work and for five years 
was in the militarj' service, in the regular army dur- 
ing the fii-st two years and later with the resei-ves. In 
1880 he came to the United States and located at 
Crookston, where he learned the carpenter trade and 
engaged in this work for some time and then advanced 
to the larger activities of the contracting business 
and also conducted a successful trade as a lumber 
dealer. During the fifteen years of his extensive 
operations as building contractor, Mr. Sivertson 
erected many of the best buildings in Crookston and 
has been actively associated with the growth and 
progress of the city through the creditable achieve- 
ments of his industrial career as well as by his public 



spirited support of eveiy enterprise. He is now 
retired from the contracting business and devotes 
his attention to his real estate interests, in which he 
has made many investments, owning the opera house 
block and a number of residence properties and 
farms. He has given able service to his fellow citizena 
as a member of the city council and has been a member 
of the library board for seven years. Mr. Sivertson 
is widely known throughout the State and county as 
a successful business man and highly respected citi- 
zen of Polk county. He is a member of the Repub- 
lican party and of the Sons of Norway. He was 
married in 1855 to Dora Sockem, who was a native 
of Norway. She died in 1911, leaving five children, 
Hanna, the wife of Mr. R. Tetley; Sophia, who is a 
teacher in the Crookston high school ; Herman, Albert 
and Margaret. In 1914 Mr. Sivertson was married 
to Mrs. Hillman, who was a widow. He is a member 
of the United Lutheran church. 



JULIUS SPOKELY. 



Although born and reared on a fann and beginning 
his life work as a tiller of the soil, Julius Spokely 
has such natural adaptability to and eapacitj' for 
merchandising, that in eleven years of active and 
enterprising devotion to this line of business he has 
made himself one of the leading merchants in the 
city of Crookston, a field in which there is strong 
competition and rivals of ability are numerous. 

Mr. Spokely is a native and wholly a product of 



Polk county whose life began in Hubbard township 
in 1877. His parents, GuUick and Gonvor (Simon) 
Spokely, were bom and reared in Norway, and came 
to the United States in the sixties. They were married 
in Houston county, Minnesota. They located in 
Houston county, Minnesota, and entered a tract of 
government land in Chippewa county, but in 1871 
took up their residence in Polk county when it was 
nearly all still a wilderness, being among the very 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



183 



earliest settlers in that part of it where they live. 
The father took up homestead, pre-emption and tree 
claim, and on the land which he thus acquired he is 
stiU residing at the age of seventy-three, the mother 
being sixty-eight. They made the trip to their new 
home through the wilds in a "prairie schooner," 
patiently enduring the privations, hardships and 
dangers of the journey buoyed up with the hope of 
obtaining a good reward for their enterprise and 
daring. 

These hardy and resolute pioneers have four sons 
and two daughters living: Albert, a farmer; Julius 
and Adolph, twins; Alexander, a farmer, and Annie 
and Sophia, who are living at home with their par- 
ents. Julius grew to manhood on his father's farm 
and obtained his education at the school in the neigh- 
borhood. After farming a short time he began his 
mercantile career as a clerk in a store at Nielsville. 
In 1899 he moved to Crookston, and during the next 



five years he clerked in stores in this city. At the 
end of this period he opened a store of his own, and 
this he has since conducted vnth a steadily increas- 
ing trade and strengthening hold on the confidence 
and regard of the people of the city and county. He 
was also associated with his brothers in keeping a store 
in Fargo, North Dakota. 

Mr. Spokely is a citizen of public spirit and pro- 
gressiveness, and takes an active and helpful part in 
the public affairs of his community. He was a mem- 
ber of the local school board, and was its treasurer 
at the time when the new school house was erected. 
Fraternally he is a Freemason and a member of the 
Order of Elks, the Sons of Norway and the Scandi- 
navian Workmen. In 1907 he was united in mar- 
riage with Miss Minnie Tisdel, who was bom in Aus- 
tin, Minnesota. They have one child, their son 
Roland. 



MARK RAUENBUEHLER. 



Having become a resident of Crookston in 1879, 
Mark Rauenbuehler is one of the pioneer residents 
of Polk county; and having been the first harness 
maker in Crookston, he is also one of the pioneer 
manufacturers and merchants of that city. More- 
over, having borne his share of the privations and 
hardships of the early days, and helped to build the 
town to its present state of advancement and import- 
ance, and having, at the same time, made his own 
advancement in business and material gains keep 
pace with the progress of the community, he is en- 
titled and prepared to enjoy his share of the pleasures 
and prosperity of the present period and look with 
pride upon the structure his hands have helped to 
build and improve. 

Mr. Rauenbuehler was born in Baden, Germany, 
July 5, 1852, a son of Alois and Mary A. (Stahlberger ) 
Rauenbeuhler, who were natives of the same province 
as himself, and passed their lives in it, profitably 
engaged in fanning. They were the parents of three 



sons and five daughters, of whom all of the sons and 
one of the daughters are now living in the United 
States. The father took an active part in the public 
affairs of his native land and served as a soldier in 
the Revolution of 1848 in that country. 

His son Mark remained at home until he reached 
the age of seventeen, then, in 1869, came to this coun- 
try and located at Fort Madison, Iowa, where he 
learned his trade as a harness maker. He next 
passed four years in Wisconsin, and then moved to 
Anoka, Minnesota. In 1879 he located at Crookston 
and opened a small harness shop on Second street, in 
front of which he planted the first hitching post in 
Crookston. During the first three days of his venture 
his cash receipts amounted to ten cents, but as the 
town grew his trade increased until it reached a con- 
siderable magnitude, and for many years it has kept 
him busy all the working hours of the day. 

Mr. Rauenbuehler was mamed in 1881 to Miss 
Emily J. Martin, a daughter of Swiss and German 



184 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



parents, and wius boni on the Atlantic ocean while 
they were on their way to America. Five children 
were born of the union, three of whom are living, 
Louisa, Paulina and George. Their mother died in 
1889 and in November, 1890, the father contracted a 



second marriage in which he was united with Mrs. 
Johanna Netzer, a widow. They have two children, 
JIadouna and Eugene. The parents are members of 
the Catholic church. 



HARRY L. MARSH. 



Harry L. Marsh, vice president and manager of 
the First National bank of Crookston, is a native of 
New York, born at Bridgewater in 1881. He was 
reared in that village and there received his early 
education. After completing his preparatory studies, 
he entered Oberlin college and graduated from that 
institution in 1903. During the following year he 
held a position with the Citizens' Trust company at 
Utica, New York, and then came to Crookston, accept- 
ing the position of book keeper in the First National 



bank. Here his able and efiScient services have won 
him rapid promotion and as vice president and man- 
ager of the First National bank, he is prominently 
associated with the financial interests of the North- 
west. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity and 
of the Crookston commandery. He was married to 
Annie Miller, the daughter of A. A. Miller, a well 
known attorney and financier of Crookston. Mr. 
Marsh and his wife are members of the First Congre- 
gational church. 



CARL RIEDESEL. 



This pioneer shoe merchant of Crookston has a fun- 
damental knowledge of his business not possessed by 
every man who is engaged in it by reason of his hav- 
ing learned the trade of shoemaking in all its features 
and requirements under competent instructors in his 
native land of Germany, and he makes this knowl- 
edge tell to his own advantage and that of his cus- 
tomers, because he is able to distinguish between good 
and poor material and workmanship in the manu- 
facture of the goods he handles. His judgment in 
this respect is considered first rate and his work in 
reference to the (|uality of foot gear always carries 
great weight with the purchasing public. 

Mr. Riedesel was born in Westfallen, Erndtebrueck, 
Germany, in 1854, where his parents, Henry and 
Louisa (Wiekel) Riedesel, passed the whole of their 
lives. The father was a shoemaker, a sturdy and ster- 
ling citizen, and devoted to the welfare of the working 
people. He rendered his country good service in the 
Revolution of 1848 in Germany, through which many 
men of prominence in the Fatherland were driven to 



seek safety in foreign lands, some of the most eminent 
of them becoming residents of this country. Six 
sons and five daughtere were born to the parents, but 
only two of the number are residents of the United 
States, Carl and one of his sisters, Louisa. 

Carl Riedesel remained in his native land until he 
reached the age of twenty-six and there learned his 
trade as a shoemaker. In 1880 he came to America, 
locating in Carver county, Minnesota, and finding 
employment on farms in the neighborhood of 
Waconia. On December 29, 1882, he became a resi- 
dent of Crookston, and here he worked at his trade 
for four .years in the employ of Mr. Sehvvark, who 
carried on a harness and shoe business. In 1889 Mr. 
Riedesel purchased the shoe department of the busi- 
ness and this he has since conducted continuously, 
which makes him one of the oldest merchants in the 
city in unbroken connection with the same line of 
trade. 

Mr. Riedesel has given the city valuable and ap- 
preciated service as a member of the city council and 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



185 



the school hoard. He is a Repuhlic-an in party alle- 
giance but not an active partisan, although he is 
always deeply interested in the welfare of his county, 
state and adopted country. Fraternally he is a Free- 
mason, and also belongs to the Ancient Order of 
United Workmen, the Independent Order of Odd 
Fellows and the Modern Woodmen of America. In 
each of these organizations he has held important 
offices and of the Camp to which he belongs in the 
Woodmen he has been secretary for twenty years. 



In 1883 Mr. Riedesel was united in marriage with 
Miss Margaret Reinhardt, like himself a native of 
Germany, and by this marriage he has become the 
father of seven children, Frederick C, William E., 
Helen (now Mrs. Misner), Louisa, who is a school 
teacher, George M., Lillian and Anorma. The par- 
ents are members of the German Lutheran church. 
They are well and favorably known throughout Polk 
county and in other localities, and are evei*ywhere 
held in high esteem. 



FRANK A. GRADY. 



Frank A. Grady, a well known attorney of Crooks- 
ton, was born in Olmsted county, Minnesota, March 
2, 1870, the son of James and Bridget (Towhey) 
Grady. The latter were natives of Ireland. They 
were married after coming to the United States and 
located in Olmsted county about 1854, in the eai'ly 
days of the settlement of the new territory. After 
living here for many years, in 1878 they removed 
to Brookings county, South Dakota, where they con- 
tinue to make their home. Frank Grady received 
his early education in the country schools of Minne- 
sota and of Brookings county. He then entered the 
South Dakota State college where he received the 
degree of B. S. in 1889. The following four years 
he spent teaching school in Iowa and Montana. On 
returning to Minnesota, he began to prepare himself 
for the legal profession in the law department of the 



state university. He graduated in 1894, was ad- 
mitted to the bar and on June 8 of that year, began 
the practice of law at Anoka where he remained for 
a year and then went to Thief River Falls. In 1897 
he located in Red Lake Falls, where for fifteen years 
he was a prominent member of the bar. During the 
years of his able and successful practice in Red Lake 
Falls, Mr. Grady became widely known in northern 
Minnesota and made many friends in Polk county. 
He served as county attorney for Red Lake county 
for four years and was a member of the school board. 
In 1912 he came to Crookston and is one of the lead- 
ing attorneys in that city. His marriage to Harriet 
E. Ryan occurred December 29, 1897. Three sons 
have been bom to this union. Clarion, Willard and 
Lowell. Mr. Grady and his family are communicants 
of the Catholic church. 



CHARLES LORING. 



Charles Loring, a lawyer of Crookston, was 
born in St. Croix county, Wisconsin, in 1873. 
His parents were Lyman and Eugenie (Hutchinson) 
Loring, the former a native of Maine and his wife of 
Vermont. Lyman Loring was a farmer, one of the 
sturdy pioneers who pushed steadily westward as 
more and more land was opened for settlement and 
cultivation. He located in Wisconsin in the fifties 
and in 1877 came to Clay county, Minnesota, and re- 



sided here until 1890. He then removed to Missoula 
county, Montana, where he engaged in ranching until 
his death in 1898. His wife survived him several 
years and died in Crookston. He rendered his coun- 
try valuable service in the Civil war, enlisting in 
Company G, Fourth Wisconsin volunteer cavalry, 
in 1861 and serving throughout the war. This regi- 
ment was with the army of the Potomac in its cam- 
paign. For a time he was transferred to naval duty 



186 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



and later accompanied his regiment on its western 
maneuvers, receiving his honorable discharge at 
the close of the war. Charles Loring was the only 
child and was reared from early childhood in Min- 
nesota. He was educated in the Moor head Nonnal 
school and in the Phillip's Exeter Academy. After 
completing his preparatory studies, he entered the 
law school of the State University and graduated in 
1898. In the same year he was admitted to the bar 
in Montana by the supreme court of that state and 
practiced there for one year. He then returned to 
Minnesota to be associated for a year with Judge 
Nye of Moorhead. In 1900 he located in Crookston 
where he enjoys a large practice. For several years 



he wa.s associated in his professional interests with 
Halvor Steenerson. This firm was dissolved in 1905 
and he formed his present partnership with Mr. G. A. 
Youngquist. Mr. Loring gives some attention to the 
management of his farm in which he takes great 
interest. He is also a director of the Scandinavian 
American bank. His political affiliations are with 
the Republican party. He has never sought political 
prominence nor run for any political office. Mr. Lor- 
ing was married in 1900 to Bertha Darrow, the daugh- 
ter of Dr. Darrow of Moorhead. They have two 
daughters, Helen and Genevieve. Mr. Loring is a 
member of the Masonic order and of the Elks lodge. 



CAPTAIN PETER J. EIDE. 



Diligent and enterprising in attention to one of 
the pursuits of peaceful industry, yet ever ready to 
move at his country's call in armed resistance to its 
enemies, Capt. Peter J. Eide of Crookston, is a fine 
example of the citizen soldiery of the United States, 
and in all the relations of life he maintains the ster- 
ling and elevated manhood of the military spirit, ex- 
emplifying in private life all the devotion to the 
interests of his country that men exhibit on the 
battlefield. 

The captain, who is now one of the leading busi- 
ness men of Crookston, was bom in this county in 
1878. He is a son of John P. and Albertina (John- 
son) Eide, who were born and reared, educated and 
married, and began their career of domestic life in 
Norway, but emigrated to the United States in 1877 
and located on a homestead in the township of Roome, 
this county. They made their virgin land over into a 
good farm, and the mother died on it in 1898. The 
father remained on the farm until 1908, when he re- 
tired from active work and changed his residence to 
Crookston, where he died in 1913. They had two 
children, the captain and his sister, who is now the 
wife of J. E. Michael and has her home in the state 
of Oregon. The parents were zealous and serviceable 



members of the Norwegian Lutheran church and took 
an active part in promoting all good agencies working 
for the benefit of the people around them. They were 
warmly esteemed wherever they were known. 

Captain Eide grew to manhood in this county and 
obtained his education in the public school in Crooks- 
ton, a business college and the State Agricultural Col- 
lege at St. Anthony Park in St. Paul. For some years 
after leaving school he was employed as a clerk in 
Crookston. In 1905 he began business for him.self 
as a manufacturer of ice cream and proprietor of a 
confectionery store in Crookston. He has continued 
his enterprise in these lines until now, and his business 
has grown to considerable magnitude. He ships ice 
cream all over this section, and his product has a high 
rank wherever it is known, for it is made with intelli- 
gence and skill and of the best materials for the 
purpose which can he obtained. 

On May 15, 1903, Captain Eide became a private in 
Company I, Third Minnesota National Guard. He 
has been constant and studious in attention to his 
duties as a member of the company from the time of 
his enlistment, and has risen by successive promotions 
on merit to his present rank as the head officer of his 
company, having been elected its captain on February 




JEEOME W. WHEELER 



COMPENDIUM OP HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



187 



22, 1911. He was the prime promoter of the move- 
ment for the erection of an armory at Crookston, and 
by persistent effort in spite of many discouragements 
and difBculties, he succeeded in obtaining the object 
of his desire in this respect in the erection of a build- 
ing that cost $40,000, and is a model sti'ucture for the 
purpose for which it was designed. It is a source of 
great pride to the community and he is entitled to the 
credit of having obtained it. 

Captain Eide's company has never been called into 
active service, but on several occasions it has been put 



in readiness for calls to suppress riots and was also 
prepared for an order to the Mexican border in 1914. 
The captain is a member of the Masonic Order, the 
Order of Elks and the Modern Woodmen of America 
in fraternal relations. His church affiliation is with 
the English Lutheran sect. He has lived in Crookston 
from the time when it was an uncomely village of log 
shacks until now, and has aided materially in promot- 
ing its growth and improvement to its present condi- 
tion. The people of Polk coiinty value his sendees 
and esteem him highly for his genuine worth. 



a A. YOUNGQUIST. 



G. A. Youngquist, of Crookston, county attorney' 
and a prominent member of the bar in Polk county, 
was born in 1885, near Gothenburg, Sweden, and was 
brought to this country in his infancy by his parents, 
Andrew and Margareta (Abrahamson) Youngquist, 
natives of the same locality as their son. Andrew 
Youngquist brought his family to Bui-eau county, 
Illinois, in 1887 and worked at his trade of blacksmith 
in that place for two years and then removed to St. 
Paul, Minnesota, and with the exception of several 
years spent in Carver county, made his home in that 
city until his death in 1907. He is survived by his 
wife and seven children, of whom G. A. Youngquist 
is the only one not residing in St. Paul. He was 
reared there and received his early education in the 
city schools and in the schools of Carver county. He 
entered the St. Paul college of law in 1906 and com- 
pleted his professional studies in 1909, received his 
degree from tliat institution and was admitted to 



practice before the supreme and federal courts. In 
the same year he opened a law office at Thief River 
Falls and in the following year located in Crookston 
where he has since been associated with Mr. Charles 
Loring in his professional interests. Mr. Yoiingquist 
is one of the younger attorneys of the county and has 
already attained a high reputation as an able and 
successful barrister and has earned the respect and 
confidence of the courts. He was elected county at- 
torney in 1914. He is widely kno^vn through his 
active interest in political activities and was a mem- 
ber of the state central committee of the Republican 
party during the campaign of 1912, He is a member 
of the Swedish Lutheran church and in fraternal cir- 
cles is affiliated with the Masonic order, Vasa Orden 
and Independent Order of Scandinavian Workmen. 
Mr. Youngquist was married June 29, 1915, to 
Scharlie M. Robertson, who is a native of Crookston. 



JEROME WINTHROP WHEELER. 



Long known as one of the most capal}le, enterpris- 
ing and sagacious bankers of Minnesota, Jerome Win- 
throp Wheeler, president of the First National Bank 
of Crookston since 1905, has a record in his chosen 
line of business which justly entitles him to the rank 
he holds and is a firm foundation for his high and 



widespread reputation iu financial circles in Minne- 
sota and all other parts of the Northwest. He has 
been a man of action and done things, leaving to 
others the pleasant task of talking about achievements. 
Mr. Wheeler was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Jan- 
uary 15, 1863, and is a son of J. B. and Kate (Dem- 



188 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



ing) Wheeler. He began his education in the public 
schools of his native town and was graduated from 
JleMynn Academy, Racine, "Wisconsin, in 1880. Ou 
leaving the academy he entered the employ of the 
Kenosha Bank and remained in its service for five 
years. From 1885 to 1892 he was bookkeeper and 
teller of the First National Bank of Crookston, and 
during the next three years was cashier of the Scan- 
dinavian-American Bank of that citj'. From 1895 to 
1905 he served as cashier of the First National Bank 
of Crookston, and since 1905 he has been the president 
of that institution. 

In addition to his close and serviceable connection 
with banks already mentioned Mr. Wheeler has been 
president of the First State Bank of Humboldt, also 
Beltrami, Minnesota, and a director of the State Bank 
of Stephen, also in this state. He has been president 
of the Wheeler-]Misner Loan company of Crooks- 
ton, Minnesota, and to each of these enterprises he has 
given the same careful and productive attention that 



has distinguished him in all his business undertakings 
and everything else in which he takes an interest. 

In 1912 Mr. Wheeler was chosen president of the 
Capitol Trust company of St. Paul, and since taking 
his place at the head of that enterprising and pro- 
gressive institution he has given every detail of its 
management his studious personal supervision, there- 
by promoting its welfare and quickening its progress 
toward the great development and impressive financial 
influence it has attained with an impetus that keeps 
it ever on the move for the accomplishment of still 
greater results. 

Mr. Wheeler has taken a sympathetic interest and 
an active part in the fraternal life of Minnesota as a 
member of the Masonic Order, the Order of Elks, the 
Knights of Pythias and the Modern Woodmen of 
America. While earnestly and loyally devoted to the 
abiding welfare of his state and country, political con- 
tes-ts have had no attraction for him, and he has never 
sought or desired a political office of any kind. He 
was married August 24, 1886, to Miss Eva J. Hill. 



EDWIN F. KELLEY. 



Edwin F. Kelley, sheriff of Polk county, was born 
at Jackson, Michigan, November 22, 1872, and was 
brought to Minnesota in his early infancy by his 
parents, Andrew J. and Ella (Fleming) Kelley, na- 
tives of Indiana and Michigan. The father of Andrew 
Kelley was born in New York state and served in 
the War of 1812, later removing to Kelleys Ford, 
Virginia, and from there to Ohio. Andrew Kelley is 
a cabinet maker by trade and w'as employed in this 
work until the outbreak of the Civil war, when he 
enlisted in the defense of the Union in the Seven- 
teenth Michigan volunteer infantry and served with 
distinction during the great conflict, his valiant serv- 
ices being acknowledged by congress in the awarding 
of a medal. After the close of the war, he was ap- 
pointed a keeper in the penitentiary and made his 
home in Jackson, Michigan, for some time. In 1873 
he came to Minnesota and was the first settler in the 
vicinity of Crookston, locating on government land. 



one mile and a half east of the town, and this home- 
stead farm continues to be the home of Andrew Kel- 
ley and his wife. Edwin Kelley 's earliest recollec- 
tions are of the pioneer life of the county and he has 
witnessed the rapid growth and the evolution of the 
wild frontier country into the modern agricultural 
and civic communities and the interests and successes 
of his career have been identified with its iiistory. 
Among the first playmates of his childhood were the 
children of the Indian tribes, before the increasing 
activities of civilization left no room for their wan- 
dering bands. He received his education in the county 
schools and engaged in farming, later removing to 
the coast where he owned a stone and timber claim 
for some time. In 1898 he enlisted in Company L 
of the Fourteenth Minnesota regiment and served in 
the Spanish war from April to November of that 
year, completing the honorable military record of the 
.services of three generations. On returning to Polk 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



189 



county, he again engaged in farming and for four 
years was deputy sheriff of the county. In 1911 he 
was elected to the office of sheriff and reelected in 
1913 and has discharged the duties of his position 
with commendable ability, his services incurring a 
well merited popularity among his fellow citizens. He 



has always been a faithful supporter of the principles 
of the Republican party and is a member of the Pres- 
bj'terian church. In fraternal circles, he is affiliated 
with the Elk lodge. Mr. Kelley was married in 1910, 
to Estella Barlow, of Iowa and they have two chil- 
dren, Gordon and Dorothy. 



L. D. FOSKETT. 



L. D. Foskett, of Crookston, cashier of the Crooks- 
ton State Bank and prominent citizen, was born in 
Northfield, Massachusetts, in 1865, the son of Elmer 
C. and Celia M. (Darrin) Foskett. Elmer C. Foskett 
was a native of Massachusetts and his wife of New 
York. They have made their home in Iowa for a 
number of years and now reside at Primghar in that 
state. L. D. Foskett was educated in Drake Univer- 
sity at Des Moines, Iowa, and upon leaving the uni- 
versity in 1898, he located in JIarshall, IMinuesota, 
where he engaged in the abstract and loan business 
for several years. In 1902 he removed to Crookston 
and promoted the organization of the Crookston State 
Bank and since that time has continued to be identi- 
fied with its successful transactions as cashier. In 
addition to his banking interests, Mr. Foskett is ex- 



tensively associated with the agricultural enterprises 
of the county and devotes considerable attention to 
the operation of about two thousand acres of farm 
land. His career has been marked by worthy accom- 
plishment and success and, although he avoids active 
interest in political matters, as a public spirited citi- 
zen, he is widely known and popular in all circles. 
He is a member of the Commercial club and in fra- 
ternal orders, is a Mason and member of the Com- 
mandery and a member of the Elks and of the Modern 
Woodmen of America. He was married, July 25, 
1905, to Bernice Addison, who resided in Marshall, 
Minnesota, and they have two children, Florence and 
Elmer. Mr. Foskett and his wife are members of 
the Congregational church. 



WELLINGTON H. JEWELL. 



When Wellington H. Jewell, the oldest employe in 
length of continuous sei'vice in the Northern Division 
of the Great Northern railroad, first saw Crookston 
in 1872 it was a straggling hamlet of a few log cabins 
and gave little promise of becoming a city of 8,000 
inhabitants, alive with quickened industrial, mercan- 
tile and commercial activities and blessed with all the 
concomitants of modern municipal progress. He has 
been a resident of the city from that time to the pres- 
ent, and has contributed his share of the enterprise 
and force required to build and develop it to its pres- 
ent stature. 

Mr. Jewell was bom in the state of Maine in 1858, 
the son of Emanuel and Katharine (Houston) Jewell, 



the former a native of England and the latter of 
Scotland. The father was a farmer and carpenter. 
He emigrated from his native land to Prince Edward 
Island. After living there for a number of years he 
moved to Maine, but later he took his family back to 
Prince Edward Island, and he and the mother died 
there. They were the parents of thirteen children and 
three of their sons are now residents of the United 
States. 

Wellington H. Jewell remained on Prince Edward 
Island until he reached the age of fourteen, then came 
to Crookston with his uncle, Robert Houston, who 
owned a part of the townsite. For a number of years 
the uncle conducted a popular and profitable grocery 



190 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



store in Crookston. He is now living in the city 
of Everett, Washington. The nephew found employ- 
ment in a modest capacity in the roundhouse of the 
Great Northern Railroad in 1875, and in October, 
1880, was given an engine, and from that time until 
now he has been running one on the Northern Di- 
vision of the road. He is a member of the Masonic 
Order in several of its advanced branches, including 
the Mystic Shrine. 

JVIr. Jewell was married in Crookston in 1886 to 



Miss Annie Dreeland, who was born in Ottawa county, 
Province of Quebec, Canada. They have three chil- 
dren: Katharine, who is the wife of John Bow, of 
Crookston; William E., who is in the railroad service, 
and Albert E., who is a machinist in the railroad shoi)s 
in St. Paul. The parents are widely knovim and held 
in much esteem for their genuine worth and the cor- 
dial and helpful interest they manifest in every un- 
dertaking for the good of their community. 



0. H. BJOIN. 



0. H. Bjoin, of Crookston, well known citizen and 
pioneer of the county, was born in Dane county, Wis- 
consin, September 19, 1852. His parents, Halvor and 
Annie (Week) Bjoin were natives of Falamaskau, 
Norway, and prominent farmers of Dane county, Wis- 
consin, where they had extensive land interests ou 
Coskland Prairie. The father came to this country in 
1843 and the mother in 1844 and they were married 
in Wisconsin where they reared their family of six 
sons and three daughters. Two sons, Thomas Bjoin 
and 0. H. Bjoin, are residents of Polk county. The 
latter remained in his native state until 1880 when 
he came to Crookston. For a year he engaged in 
farming and then for some time operated a liveiy 
business, working for his brother, Thomas Bjoin. In 



1883 he filed on land and gave some attention to his 
claim, later serving for a time ou the police force of 
Crookston. He again engaged in the lively business 
in 1885, September 21, and has continued in this 
occupation during the past thirty years and is widely 
known as the pioneer liveryman of the county. 
Throughout the many years of his business career and 
citizenship, Mr. Bjoin has maintained an active inter- 
est in public activities and in advancing the ra])i(l 
development of the country and justly enjoys the 
respect accorded tlie worthy settlers of the city and 
county. He was married at Red Wing, in 1886 to 
Lena Carlson, who was born in Norway and they 
have three children, Anna, Cora and Harold. 



JOHN R. RASMUSSON. 



Being one of the pioneers who helped to open the 
Red River valley to settlement and improvement, and 
liaving also tried his hand in the stirring engagements 
of the farther West, John R. Rasmusson of Crookston 
has had an extensive, varied and valuable experience 
among men. 

Mr. Rasmusson was bom at Kilbourn, Wisconsin, 
in 1864. His parents, Halvor and Liv (Johnson) 
Rasmusson, were natives of Norway and came to the 
United States in 1860, locating in Wisconsin, where 
the father taught school and clerked. In 1866 he 



moved to Winona, Minnesota, and in 1878 to Moor- 
head, this state. There the mother died in March, 
1909, and there the father still has his home. lie 
served as clerk of the courts in Clay county sixteen 
years, and prior to that time liought grain in various 
parts of Southern Minnesota. 

Of the three sons and two daughters of his par- 
ents who are living, John R. Rasmusson is the only 
one living in Polk county. He attained his manhood 
and got his education in Minnesota, and at the ag* 
of twenty-six changed his residence to Spokane, Wash- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



191 



ihgton, where he served as deputy clerk and city clerk 
for two years. In 1893 he returned to Moorhead, 
and in 1896 removed to Crookston, where he has since 
resided and is now actively and profitably engaged 
in the hardware trade. He takes an intei'est in the 
public affairs of his home city and county, but has 
not sought office or been an active political partisan. 
In 1892 Mr. Rasmusson was united in marriage 
with Miss Elisa Dahl, who was born in Norway and 



brought to the United States in her childhood. They 
have two children, Harold D. and Dagna J., both of 
whom still abide with them in their pleasant home. 
The parents are members of the English Lutheran 
church and take a sei-viceable part in its activities, 
as they do in every undertaking for the good of the 
community. They stand well in the city and county, 
and deserve in full measure the cordial regard in 
which they are held by all classes of their residents. 



AUGUST MILLER. 



The late August Miller of Crookston, who died in 
that city June 8, 1913, was the founder of the Crooks- 
ton tannery and for nearly twenty years was one of 
the leading manufacturers and business men of Polk 
county. He was born in Sweden in 1853 and was 
reared and educated in that country. There also he 
learned his trade as a tanner and followed it until 
1888. In that year he brought his family to the 
United States and Minnesota and located in St. Paul, 
where he operated a tannery until 1894. He then 
moved to Crookston and started the first tannery 
operated in this state north of the Twin Cities. He 
began his operations on a small scale but steadily in- 
creased them until now the plant he founded handles 
about 3,000 hides a year. The tannery is completely 
equipped with modern machinery, occupies two large 
buildings and draws its trade from a large part of 
this state, the two Dakotas and the province of Mani- 
toba, Canada. 

Mr. Miller was married in his native laud to Miss 
Eva Johnson. They became the parents of eight chil- 
dren, all of whom have died except three. Their 
mother is also still living. She is a member of the 
Swedish Lutheran church, as was her husband dur- 
ing his life. They were among the founders of the 



congregation of their faith in Crookston and zealous 
in its service from the beginning of its history, being 
persons of sturdy and sterling qualities and helpfully 
interested in all good works among the people around 
them. 

Herman U. Miller, the sou of August, is also a 
native of Sweden, where his life began in 1884. 
He was a child of four years when he came to this 
country with his parents, and in Minnesota he grew 
to manhood and learned the tanning trade under the 
tuition of his father, and since the death of that es- 
timable man he has managed the business of the tan- 
nery with enterprise and expanding trade and grat- 
ifying success. Though one of the younger set of 
Crookston 's business men he is one of the most capable 
and progressive of them all, and is generally esteemed 
as such. 

Mr. Miller, the younger, is a member of the Masonic 
order and the Crookston Commercial club. In relig- 
ious afiSliation he adheres to the faith of his parents. 
He was married in 1908 to Miss Marie Amundson, 
who was bom and reared in Polk county. Her par- 
ents were pioneers of the county, locating and living 
in the thirteen towns. Mr. and Mrs. Miller have two 
children, their son Ronald and their daughter Irene. 



JOHN W. O'BRIEN. 



One of the few remaining members of the fast W. 'Brien, a retired hardware merchant of Crooks- 
fading remnant of our pioneers in Polk county, John ton, is highly respected by everybody because of his 



192 



COiMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



early and later services in the Northwest, his sterling 
integrity and useful citizenship, and the fine example 
of business capacity and enterprise which he has given 
the people in this section of the state. While he has 
retired from active work in connection with the hard- 
ware business he founded, he is still a member of the 
firm which conducts it and gives it the benefit of his 
advice. 

Mr. O'Brien was born in County Mayo, Ireland, 
July 14, 1849. His parents, Michael and Mary 
(Tighe) O'Brien, were also County Mayo folks and 
their ancestors lived for many generations in that 
part of the Emerald Isle. The father came to the 
United States in 1849 and the family joined him in 
this country in 1852. He took up his residence at 
Belvidere, Illinois, and there worked at his trade of 
stonemason and carried on business as a building 
contractor. He died at Belvidere in 1867, and the 
mother died there in 1898. They had seven sons, six 
living, and two daughters, one dead. One daughter 
and three of the sons are residents of Crookston, and 
the other son lives at Devil's Lake, North Dakota, and 
two reside in Illinois. 

John W. O'Brien came to Minnesota and located 



in Duluth in 1869. He worked on the Lake Superior 
railroad for a time and was then employed on the 
Northern Pacific when that road was building into 
Moorhead, Minnesota, his position on each I'oad being 
that of foreman, and in this capacity he helped to 
build the Great Northern into Beltrami. In 1873 he 
passed a short time in Crookston and in 1878 located 
in that city permanently. There he started in business 
for himself, which he followed until 1885, when he 
opened a hardware store in partnership with his 
brother James, and this is the one the brothers still 
own. 

Mr. O'Brien is a Catholic in church affiliation and 
has been a zealous and serviceable Democrat in politi- 
cal allegiance from his youth. In 1882 he was united 
in marriage with Miss Johanna Donovan, a native of 
Canada but of Ii'ish parentage. She died in 1907 
leaving no children. Throughout her married life she 
met every requirement of her duty with energy and 
a cheerful spirit, and she stood deservedly high in the 
good will and regard of the whole community of her 
home, as Jlr. 'Brien does now and always has wher- 
ever he is known. 



CHARLES A. HITCHCOCK. 



In the twenty-two years of his residence in Crooks- 
ton Charles A. Hitchcock, one of the city's leading 
men, has built up an extensive business and an excel- 
lent reputation as a shrewd and far-seeing business 
man and an enterprising, progressive and public- 
spirited citizen, warmly and intelligently interested 
in the welfare of the community and willing at all 
times to do his part of the work necessary to promote 
it. 

Mr. Hitchcock was born in Dubuque, Iowa, Decem- 
ber 2, 1864, a son of Rollin G. and Lucy E. (Nelson) 
Hitchcock, natives of Vermont. The father was a 
farmer in his native state and continued to be one 
after he came "West. In 1855 he located in Iowa, 
where he purchased a tract of veild land which he con- 



verted into a well improved and valuable farm. He 
and his wife died at the home of their son Charles at 
the age of eighty-nine years, their deaths occurring 
within one month of each otlier. They were the par- 
ents of three sons and four daughters, Charles A. 
being the only one of the seven living in Minnesota, 
of which he has been a resident for twenty-seven j-ears. 
Charles A. Hitchcock grew to manhood and was 
educated in Iowa, and followed farming until 1888. 
In that year he removed to Mcintosh, this county, 
and began auctioneering stock, and this has been his 
principal occupation from then until the present time. 
In 1893 he changed his residence to Crookston, which 
has ever since been his home. But his business takes 
him periodically to Dlinois and Iowa, Avhere he is 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



193 



as well known and highly esteemed as he is in Min- 
nesota, and where he devotes himself to his chosen 
calling on an extensive scale and in a very active 
way. 

Mr. Hitchcock was married in 1888 to Miss Mary 
E. Barr, a native of Iowa, in which state the marriage 
took place. They have one child, their son Hariy W., 
who is living at home with them and is connected 
with the Times Printing company. In the local pub- 
lic affairs of his community Mr. Hitchcock has long 



taken an active and helpful part. He served the city 
of Crookston as mayor from 1900 to 1903, and during 
his administration the first street paving in the city 
was done and other improvements of value were made. 
He also served a.s a member of the city council for a 
number of years. Fraternally he is connected with 
the Masonic Order and the Order of Elks. He also 
belongs to the United Commercial Travelers' Associa- 
tion, and his wife and son are members of the Con- 
gregational church. 



JAMES M. CATHCART. 



Although yet a young man, and by no means of a 
wildly roving or adventurous nature, James M. Cath- 
cart, the accomplished and accommodating secretary 
of the Crookston Commercial club, has seen a great 
deal of this country and had an experience of ex- 
tensive variety. He is a native of Elkhart county, 
Indiana, where his life began in 1884, and the son 
of John F. and Florence (Boyer) Cathcai't, the 
former a native of Virginia and the latter of Penn- 
sylvania. Their son James began his education in 
the district schools of Indiana and completed it at 
the select school kept by Rev. Dwight L. Moody at 
Mount Hermon, Massachusetts. 

Mr. Cathcart began his career of self-support and 
advancement in the employ of the Lake Shore & Mich- 
igan Southern railroad, working in the engineering 
department at Elkhart, Indiana. Later he was in the 
same service in New York state and the general offices 
of the company in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1908 he came 
to Minnesota and located in St. Paul, where he entered 



the employ of the Great Northern railroad. In 1912 
and 1913 he was general manager of the department 
of hotels and camps in Glacier National Park, super- 
vising the operation and assisting in the construction 
of buildings, trails and other developments there for 
the railroad company. 

In the fall of 1913 Mr. Cathcart returned to Indi- 
ana, and in March^ 1914, when the Crookston Com- 
mercial club was reorganized, he was chosen secre- 
tary of the revived organization, and has served it in 
that capacity ever since. He is also secretary of the 
Northwestern Fair Association of Crookston, and a 
member of the Order of Elks and the Masonic Order, 
in the latter holding his Blue Lodge membei-ship in 
Indiana and belonging to the Royal Arch and Com- 
mandery of Knights Templar and the Nobles of the 
Mystic Shrine in St. Paul, Minnesota. He was mar- 
ried in Grand Forks, North Dakota, October 24, 1915, 
to Miss Elva Gilbert, a native of South Dakota. 



HELVOR HOLTE, M. D. 



This pioneer physician and surgeon of Crookston, 
who is widely and favorably known as a professional 
man of extensive attainments and skill and a citizen 
of great enterprise, public spirit and progressiveness, 
is a native of the city of Stavanger, Norway, where 



he reached the age of sixteen years. In 1873 he came 
to the United States with his parents and located with 
them on a farm in Fillmore eoiuity, Minnesota. 

Dr. Holte remained with his parents and assi.sted 
them on the farm for a number of years. He then 



his life began July 11, 1857, and where he lived until entered St. Olaf college, at Northfield, this state, and 



194 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



iu 1893 was graduated from the medical departmeut 
of the University of Minnesota. He at once began 
practicing his profession with Crookstou as liis head- 
quarters, and he has since then been continuously 
engaged in an active practice with special attention 
to the surgical branch of the profession. lie has 
served as county physician of Polk county ajid is now 
secretary of the Tuberculosis Sanitarium Commission 
for Polk and Norman counties. 

In 1897 Dr. Holte built the Bethesda Hospital in 
Crookston, and for a number of years thereafter he 
was in active control of it. This valued institution 
is now owned by the Bethesda Hospital Association 
of Crookston and is conducted by the organization 
known as the Lutheran Deaconesses. Dr. Holte is a 
member of the state, county and Red River Valley 
medical societies and the American Medical Associa- 
tion. He is also a member of the American Public 
Health Association, and director of the Minnesota 



Public Health Association, and in business circles is 
a director of the Scandia-Americau Bank of Crocks- 
ton and the Crookston Commercial club. His religious 
aliiliation is with the English United Lutheran 
church, and he is one of the deacons of the congre- 
gation in which he holds his membership. On Sep- 
tember 25, 1902, he was united in marriage with Miss 
Henrietta Lunde, of Franklin, Minnesota. They have 
three children, Harold Oliver, Evelyn Irene and 
Junius Augusten. With nearly a quarter of a cen- 
tury of upright and serviceable living among this 
people, during all of which he has always been at 
their command for high-grade professional work, it 
is not surprising that Dr. Holte is universally esteemed 
throughout the Northwest, and the fact that he is 
is creditable alike to him and to the people among 
whom he has lived and labored so long and to such 
good purpose. 



HON. R. T. BUCKLER. 



Carrying on extensive industries in farming opera- 
tions and raising livestock ; taking an active and very 
serviceable part in the public affairs of his county and 
the whole state of Minnesota ; looking to the best and 
most wholesome progress and development of this 
part of the country, and holding a high place in the 
regard and good will of his fellow men, Hon. R. T. 
Buckler, at present (1916) state senator for the Sixty- 
sixth Senatorial district, is an ornament to the man- 
hood of Polk county and one of the county's most 
progressive, enterprising and useful citizens. 

Mr. Buckler was born in Coles county, Illinois, 
October 27, 1865, and gi-ew to manhood and obtained 
his education there. His father died when the son 
was but fourteen years old, and as he was the oldest 
boy at home, the care of the family devolved in a 
measure on him. At the age of twenty-one he rented 
a tract of land in his native county and began to raise 
broomcorn on a large scale. His average acreage 
devoted to this production ranged from 120 to 160 



acres, and his crops were the largest ever raised in 
that part of Illinois. He prospered in his venture 
and bought land until he owned 370 acres, all of 
which he made through his own unaided efforts. He 
bought his land at $50 an acre and sold some of it at 
$100 and the rest at $150 an acre, but he expended a 
considerable sum on improvements also. 

The senator became a resident of Polk county in 
the spring of 1904, having purchased the year before 
some 800 acres of land in Andover township. Later 
he sold a part of this but subsequently added more, 
and now owns 1,040 acres all in one body on Burn- 
ham's creek, six miles west of Crookston. On this land, 
a part of which is the old Alexander Burnham home, 
he raises great crops of grain and numbers of horses, 
cattle and sheep. In 1915 he had over 16,000 bushels 
of oats, 13,000 bushels of barley and 7,000 bushels of 
wheat. In his farming operations he employs four 
men and thirteen horses all the time, but does his 
plowing and threshing with a gas tractor. His usual 




/^ . Y. /3^e/<C^ 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



195 



holdings of livestock run from 1,700 to over 4,000 
head of sheep, which run in the grass and stubble and 
are fattened for the markets, a large herd of cattle 
and a good-sized drove of horses. His farm, which 
is well drained and one of the choicest in the county, 
is widely and favorably known as a great stock farm. 

In everything that has to do with the welfare of 
Polk county and his township the senator has always 
taken an active and very helpful interest. He was 
one of the organizers of the Northwestern Fair asso- 
ciation, has been one of its directors from the begin- 
ning of its history, frequently one of its leading 
exhibitors, and has served as its treasurer. He is 
also one of the directors of the Farmers' Elevator 
company at Crookston, and has served as chairman 
of the township board of supervisors in his township. 

In the fall of 1914 Mr. Buckler was elected to the 
State Senate as a nonpartisan candidate, but he is a 
Democrat in political faith and cast his last vote for 
the presidency for Hon. Woodrow Wilson. In the 
senate session of 1915 he served on the committees on 
railroads, grain and warehouses, roads and bridges, 
towns and counties, and others of importance. He 
procured the enactment of a law compelling railroad 
companies to keep the stock cars used by them clean ; 
obtained an appropriation of $15,000 for cleaning out 



the Sand Hill river near Beltrami, and was an earnest 
advocate for giving the farmers more voice in deter- 
mining how the money appropriated for good roads 
should be expended. His Sand Hill river project, 
which had been hung up in three former sessions of 
the legislature, was carried into successful execution 
in 1915. It provides drainage for a large extent of 
valuable land not hitherto wholly available for use. 
His views on the expenditure of state money on roads 
made him popular in his district and had a consider- 
able degree of influence in bringing about his election 
to the senate. The law as passed did not fully meet 
his views, but it gives the farmers and taxpayers 
advantages of value which they did not have before it 
was passed. 

In fraternal relations Senator Buckler is a member 
of the Order of Elks. He was married at the age of 
twenty-six to Miss Addie Ball, of Coles county, Illi- 
nois. They have six children, Ruth, Eva, Jack, La 
Feme, Mary, and Maxine. The religious leaning of 
the family is to the Presbyterian church. The senator 
and all the other members of his household take an 
earnest interest in all undertakings for the good of 
the county and do their part toward making them suc- 
cessful and serviceable in the largest possible measure. 



CHARLES E. KIEWEL. 



Secretary, treasurer and general manager of the 
Kiewel Brewing company of Crookston, Charles E. 
Kiewel holds a position of great importance in the 
business life of the city and is highly esteemed by all 
classes of the people for the admirable manner in 
which he fills it, the elevated and useful citizenship 
he exhibits and his sterling manhood in all the rela- 
tions of life. He was born in the city of Moorhead, 
Clay county, Minnesota, in 1875, the son of Jacob 
and Rose (Niggler) Kiewel, the former a native of 
Prussia and the latter of Switzerland. They came to 
this country in their childhood and located in Otter- 
tail county, Minnesota, the mother's people arriving 



there in 1862. The father is president of the brewing 
company in Crookston of which the son is the secre- 
tary, treasurer and manager. 

Charles E. Kiewel grew to manhood at Fergus Falls, 
Minnesota, and obtained his education in the schools 
of that city. He learned the brewing business at Lit- 
tle Falls in this state. In 1899 he and his father 
became interested in the brewing industry in Crooks- 
ton by purchasing a small brewery owned and ope- 
rated by August "Walters. They soon afterward 
enlarged the plant to its present capacity of 30,000 
barrels a year. Their product is sold in many parts 
of the Northwest in the United States and also ex- 



196 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



teiisively in Canada. They have an active trade and 
show the most commendable enterprise in keeping up 
with its steadily increasing demands and all of its 
most exacting requirements, being abreast of the times 
and the market at all times. 

In addition to his interest in the brewery Mr. Kie- 
wel is extensively engaged in farming and raising 
live stock, his favorites being Holstein and Shorthorn 
cattle, and he has lands devoted exclusively to agri- 
culture besides those he uses for grazing purposes. 
He pushes all departments of his business with energy, 
giving each his personal attention, and studying 
everything likely to aid him in obtaining the best 



results and the largest returns for his outlay of time, 
effort and money throughout. 

Mr. Kiewel was married in 1896 to Miss Katharine 
Blake of Little Falls. They have two children, their 
sons Dewey J. and Charles. The father of these chil- 
dren is a member of the Order of Elks and takes an 
active part in the work of his lodge. He is also a 
progressive citizen and displays a highly commend- 
able public spirit in connection with all undertakings 
for the welfare and improvement of the city and 
county of his home. He is widely and favorably 
known in many parts of Minnesota and the adjoining 
states. 



CHARLES E. DAMPIER, M. D. 



Charles E. Dampier, SI. D., pioneer physician and 
surgeon in the northwest and eminent citizen of 
Crookston, is a native of Canada, born in Waterloo, 
province of Quebec, June 5, 1854. Two years later 
his parents, Edward and Charlotte (Parmclee) Dam- 
pier, came to Minnesota. Edward Dampier was born 
in Paris but was of English parentage and his wife 
was a native of Vermont. They located in Steel 
county, in what is now Lamand township, in 1856, 
and were the second family of white settlers in that 
section. Here Edward Dampier took a claim and 
engaged in the clearing of the land, part of which. 
wa.s a timber tract. A few years later he removed to 
Meridian township where he lived until 1862. In that 
year he went to Dakota county and there rented a 
farm. He also resided for a time in Fergus Falls 
and Northfield. He was engaged in the hotel busi- 
ness in the latter place when the town was raided by 
the Younger Bros, and it was from a window of his 
hotel that Dr. Wheeler shot Clell Miller. The gun 
used in this affair is now in the possession of Dr. 
Dampier, a memento of pioneer days. Edward Dam- 
pier answered the call of his adopted eountrj' during 
the time of her gi-eat struggle and enlisted from 
Dakota county in Company A, Hatch's independent 
battalion and served as first lieutenant of his com- 



pany, which was detailed to detached duty in Jlin- 
nesota, until the close of the war. On receiving his 
honorable discharge in 1865, he returned to Dakota 
county and purchased a farm near Castle Rock. As 
an early settler of the state, he endured the hard- 
ships and trials of that time, a worthy citizen of the 
new commonwealth. He died, February, 22, 1889. 
His wife survived him a number of years, her death 
occun-ing on May 1, 1905. They had seven children, 
of whom two sons and a daughter are residents of 
Minnesota. Charles Dampier was i-eared in Minne- 
sota and received his early education in the country 
schools. He completed his preparatory studies in 
an academy at Elgin, Illinois, and attended Carleton 
college. He began his professional .studies inider 
Dr. C. L. Armington in Northfield and in 1876 en- 
tered the medical college of the University of Michi- 
gan, receiving his degree in 1878. He located at 
Dell Rapids, South Dakota, and practiced tliere for 
about six months and then returned to Minnesota 
and to Northfield. In the following year he came to 
Crookston where he enjoys a large and successful 
practice as the oldest practicing physician in that 
city. Dr. Dampier has never regarded his medical 
education as finished but continues his scientific 
studies and research, keeping in touch with the many 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



197 



developments and achievements of the medical world. 
He has taken several post graduate courses, two of 
them in Chicago. He has won much distinction 
through his able services during his professional 
career. He served for five years as eoiineilor for the 
State Medical society and is a n^ember of the Amer- 
ican, Red River Valley, and County medical societies. 
He has received a number of important federal ap- 
pointments and is the comity examiner for the sani- 
tarium at Walker, Minnesota, the secretjiry of the 
Board of Pension Examiners and for twenty-live 
years has been the city health officer. He has now 



held the position of local surgeon for the Northern 
Pacific railroad twenty-five years. Aside from his 
professional duties, Dr. Dampier is identified with 
public interests as secretary and treasurer of the 
school board and as treasurer of the Building and 
Loan association. He is a member of the Masonic 
fraternity, a Shriner and Past Eminent Commander 
of the Crookston commandery and has been treasurer 
of the local chapter for over thirty years. He was a 
charter member of the Elks' lodge and has served as 
treasurer of that order for a number of years. 



HARVEY W. MISNER. 



This enterprising and pi'ogressive young business 
man, who is a leader among the business men of his 
generation and circle, and the present capable and 
popular mayor of Crookston, is a native of Polk 
county and was reared among its people. He is wholly 
a product of the county and all the credit for business 
capacity, good citizenship and administrative ability 
in office he enjoys in such large measure reflects back 
upon the county, of whose residents he is a fair type 
and good representative. 

Mr. Misuer was born at Euclid, this county, July 
10, 1883, the son of the late Harvey C. Misuer, a 
sketch of whom will be found in this volume. The 
son began. his education in the district schools, con- 
tinued it at the high school in Crookston, and com- 
pleted it at Macalester college in St. Paul. He started 
his basiness career as a clerk in his father's general 
store at Euclid, and from 1904 to 1911 he was in the 
real estate business at Pasadena, California, but with 
a continuous longing to get back to Minnesota. 

In the year last named Mr. Misner gratified his 
longing by returning to this state and taking up his 



residence in Crookston. He then became manager 
of the Wheeler-Misner Loan company, of which he is 
also secretarj' and treasurer. In addition he is presi- 
dent of the Crookston Investment company and secre- 
tary of the Crookston Cordage company, and from 
March, 1913, to January, 1915, he was president of 
the Crookston Commercial club, of which he is still 
a director, as he is of the Northwestei'n Minnesota 
Fair Association. 

In politics Mr. Misner has always been a Republi- 
can, but never neutral nor indifferent to the public 
welfare. In the fall of 1915 he was nominated for 
mayor of Crookston as the city's candidate, and he 
was elected by a handsome plurality over the regular 
Republican and Socialist nominees. In fraternal re- 
lations he is connected with the Order of Elks and is 
a Freemason of the Knights Templar degree. He is 
recognized as a first-class busin&ss man and a citizen 
of the best and most serviceable type. On June 12, 
1906, he was united in marriage with Miss Ethel L. 
Scott, of Depere, Wisconsin. 



EDWARD PETERSON. 



A leader in business circles in Crookston and always Peterson, superintendent of the Crookston Water- 
at the front in every undertaking for the improve- works. Power and Light company, is a very useful 
ment of the city or the benefit of its residents, Edward citizen and a forceful factor in promoting the prog- 



198 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



ress and iniprovcmeiit of Polk county and all tlio 
country adjacent to it and tributary to its industrial, 
commercial, mercantile and social life. 

Mr. Peterson was bom in Sweden August 7, 1860, 
the son of Peter and Anna Peterson, farmei-s in their 
native land and also in this country after their arrival 
here in 1882, when they took up their residence at 
what is now the thriving and progres.sive city of 
Thief River Falls. Their son Edward was twenty- 
two years old when the family came to the United 
States. He had completed his education in his native 
place, and was ready for any suitable opening he 
might find in his new home. He remained at Thief 
River Falls four years, then moved to Crookston in 
1886 and accepted a position in the employ of the 
waterworks department. 

In the course of a little while Mr. Peterson woi-ked 
his way up to the post of engineer for the company 
and some time afterward was appointed superintend- 
ent. He was elected treasurer of the company in 



1892, and since then he has been practically in charge 
of all the operations of the department in the dual 
capacity of superintendent and treasurer. He was 
one of the organizers of the Crookston Building and 
Loan association ; is a director and president of the 
Crookston Cordage company, a director of the Elec- 
trical Development company, and chairman of the 
development committee of the Crookston Commercial 
club. He is also a member of the Crookston school 
board. 

On January 1, 1888, Mr. Peterson was united iu 
marriage with Miss Hannah Andei"son, the nuptials 
being solemnized in Minneapolis. This Mi-s. Peter- 
son died in 1892, and on August 22, 1894, Mr. Peter- 
son contracted a second marriage, which united him 
with Miss Anna Pherson, of Chicago. They have 
eight children, Julia, Esther, Agnes Ethel, Albert 
Edward, Herbert K., Florence, Adeline and Paul, 
all of whom are still members of the parental family 
circle. 



EDWIN E. LOMMEN. 



Edwin E. Lommen, of Crookston, a prominent citi- 
zen and one of the early settlers of the coxinty, was 
born iu Winneshiek county, Iowa, February 9, 18.56, 
the son of Andere 0. and Sigrid (Hoyme) Lommen, 
natives of Norway. His father was a well known 
pioneer farmer in Iowa, having located on govern- 
ment land there in 1850, after living two years in 
Wisconsin. He was widely identified with the pub- 
lic activities of the time, was a member of the lower 
House of the Legislature and served in a number of 
local offices. 

Edwin E. Lommen taught school at eighteen years 
of age and clerked iu a hardware store at Decorali, 
Iowa. In 1878 he came to Polk county and took up 
a Homestead claim five miles west of Crookston, on 
which he lived for 19 years, cultivating and improv- 
ing his farm. Since locating iu Polk county he has 
been actively and prominently associated with the 
interests which have contributed to its progress a)id 



welfare. He has marked tlie rapid evolution, which 
has replaced the log cabin store, saloon, and tem- 
porary frame sliacks, which occupied the site of 
Crookston in 1878, with the thriving, progressive 
city of nine thousand inhabitants, with its brick 
blocks and paved .streets. No les-s remarkable has 
been the development of the county, which as an 
agricultural communitj^ ranks second to none in the 
State. In this development he feels a just pride in 
having taken part. Wliile living on his farm, he 
held various local offices and in 1S90 was elected to 
the State Senate and was a member of the legislative 
body during the sessions of 1891 and 189.3. Among 
the enactments for which he was responsible, there 
were two which directlj^ afFectetl his home county; 
the law reducing the salary of county officials, which 
has saved many thousand dollars anniially and the 
First Red River Valley drainage law, which carried 
an appropriation of $100,000 from the state and pro- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



199 



vided for an additional contribution of $25,000 from 
the Great Northern railroad. This law made possible 
the construction of the first extensive ditches in the 
valley and has had far reaching results, in increasing 
the value of the land and the prosperity of the region. 
In 1898 he was elected Clerk of the District Court, 
which office he held four years. In 1894 he was can- 
didate for lieutenant governor and in 1896 was candi- 
date for Congi-ess on the Populist ticket, with the 
Democratic endorsement; but was defeated. 

Mr. Lommen was cashier of the State Bank of 
Buxton for 7 years; but failing health caused his 
retirement, so he returned to Crookston in 1914, where 



he has been engaged in the real estate business, de- 
voting some attention to his farming interests. He 
is a member of I. O. 0. F. and the M. W. A. fra- 
ternal organizations. He has been twice married. 
His first union was with Maria Olson in 1881. She 
is survived by their four children, Clarence E., a 
physician; Albei-t M., who resides in Grand Forks; 
Alice J., a teacher in the schools at Hatton, North 
Dakota, and Sidney N., a student at the N. D. U. 
In 1902 Mr. Lommen was married to Addie S. Sana- 
ker, who had been previously manned and widowed. 
They are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. 



ALEX H. DUNLAP, M. D. 



Alex H. Dunlap, M. D., one of the leading physi- 
cians and surgeons of Crookston, has been eminently 
connected with the medical profession of the county 
since 1882, when he first engaged in practice in Crooks- 
ton. He was bom in Ontario, Canada, in 1857. His 
father, John Dunlap, was a native of Ontario and 
his wife, Julia (Ellis) Dunlap, was born in Edin- 
burgh, Scotland. John Dunlap was a lumber man 
and mill owner and lived in Canada throughout his 
life. His death and that of his wife, but a few houre 
later, occurred in 1905. Of their family of four sons 
and three daughters. Dr. Alex Dunlap is the only 
one who does not reside in Canada. He was reared 
in that country and received his early education in 
the public schools and then became a student in 
Queena College at Kingston. After graduating from 
that institution in 1875, he began to prepare himself 
for the medical profession, studying for a few months 
under Dr. Lafferty of Kingston and in the winter of 
the same year entered McGill college. In 1882 he 



received his degree and came to Crookston where he 
has continued to successfully pursue his professional 
duties and has received an extensive patronage as a 
general practitioner. In the length of time of his 
services as a physician, he now ranks third among 
the local members of his profession and the many 
able attainments of his career have won him the 
respect and confidence of his colleagues. No small 
part of his success is due to years of keen study and 
a constant alertness to the rapid advances made in 
medical discoveries. Dr. Dunlap has availed himself 
of the advantages of post graduate work, each year, 
either in New York clinics or at McGill college. He 
is a member of the Red River Valley Medical associa- 
tion and of the American Medical association. Aside 
from his private practice, Dr. Dunlap held the posi- 
tion of local surgeon for the Great Northern railroad 
for several years. He was married in 1912 to Annie 
Bolie, who is a native of Minnesota. Dr. Dunlap is 
a member of the Masonic order. 



CHARLES P. SKOUG. 



Charles F. Skoug, postmaster of Crookston, is a 
native of Norway, bom at Frederickstadt in 1870 
and came with his parents to this country when ten 



years of age. He is the son of Theo. J. and Caroline 
(Mathesian) Skoug, who located in Lyon county, Min- 
nesota, in 1880. Here the father entered upon the 



200 



COMPENDIUiM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



laborious devulopmeiit of uew laud aud eugaged in 
farming in the State for a number of years and reared 
a family of two sons and four daughters. Both par- 
ents are now living and reside in Seattle, Washington. 
Charles Skoug assisted his father on the homestead 
for several years aud at the age of sixteen, embarked 
upon his eommereial career as a salesman of farm 
machinery, his enterprise and natural ability winning 
him ready success aud he continued iu this occupation 
for seventeen years, traveling over all the western 
states and building up a prosperous trade. In 1907 
lie located in Crookston, where he is one of the in- 
fluential and progressive citizens. He has become 
Avidely known over the state through his prominent 
services in the political field and in 1896 gave con- 
spicuous service as the leader of the Democratic cam- 
paigu, his work evincing marked executive ability 



and a natural political sense. lie has also represented 
the county in a number of conventions. In June, 
191?,, he was appointed postmaster and has discharged 
the duties of his position with competency and satis- 
faction to the patrons. In fraternal circles, he is a 
well knowii and popular member of the Masonic 
order, the Elks and the United Commercial Travelers. 
His marriage to Anna ]\I. Nordic, a resident of Min- 
nesota, was solemnized June 20, 1895. She died in 
Crookston, April 19, 1914, leaving three children, 
Kennth M., Vivian and Viola A. Mr. Skoug was 
married a second time on August 21, 1915, to Mrs. 
Elizabeth (Lindsley) Lundberg, the widow of Mag- 
nus Lundberg. Mrs. Skoug was born in Missouri 
but spent her earl}' life in St. Paul. They make 
their home in Crookston. 



PETER I\I. RINGDAL. 



Peter M. Ringdal, of Crookston, prominent busi- 
ness man and distinguished citizen, is a native of 
Minnesota, born in Goodhue county iu 1861. He 
was reared on a farm where he remained until he was 
nineteen years of age. He then entered the railroad 
and express business and continued in this occupa- 
tion until 1890. During this time, steady application 
to his work and intelligent study of its different 
phases, eminently fitted him for responsible positions 
later and enabled him to render valuable service to 
the state. He located in Crookston in 1888. In 1894 
he entered public sendee as state senator, elected on 
the Populist party ticket. Since that time he has 
continued to be actively identified with public affairs 
and has accomplished much toward securing better 
and more efficient legislation. As senator, he spent a 
busy term and his principal efforts were directed 
toward better control of common carriers and the 
reduction of transportation rates, although this was 
some years before the attention of the general publi(! 
had been aroused to the encroachments of corpor- 
ations. He also originated and pushed to a successful 



conclusion, the movement which resulted in the estab- 
lishment, in 1896, of the State Experiment station 
at Crookston. This station has since been converted 
into a state agricultural school. He favored more 
efficacious methods in the State Labor bureau and 
was instnimental in reorganizing the department to 
that purpose. In 1898 he received a unanimous 
renominatiou for state senator but withdrew from 
tlie legislative ticket to acept an unanimous nomina- 
tion for congress by the Peoples aud Democratic 
parties, but was defeated in the election. In 1899 he 
was appointed a member of State Railroad and Ware- 
house commission and worked with this commission 
for two years, during which time considerable prog- 
ress was made in i-educing and equalizing railroad 
rates and removing discriminations. He was made a 
member of the State Board of Control in January, 
1907, and continued to serve in this office for a tenn 
of six years. Mr. Ringdal is the present register of 
the United States land office at Crookston, having 
been appointed to this position in January, 1914. In 
1912 he was honored by the Democratic citizens of 




GUNDEK STEXliKSON 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



201 



the state with the nomination for governor. In public 
service and in the commercial world, his integrity and 
the power to accomplish that which is based on his 
earnest convictions, have won the respect of all men. 
He has always been a radical democrat and faithful 
supporter of the principles of democracy, favoring 
all measures aimed at the equalizing of opportunity 



and the destruction of monopoly and special privilege. 
He is prominently associated with the business 
interests of the city as pi'esident of the Crookston 
Granite company and of the Polk County State bank, 
a sketch of which is found in this work. Mr. Ringdal 
was married in 1885 to Mary J. Shirley. 



JAMES P. O'CONNELL. 



James P. 'Council, receiver at the United States 
land office at Crookston. is a native of jMinnesota, 
born in Wright county, July 18, 1873, the son of 
William and Mary (Haley) O'Connell, pioneer set- 
tlers of the state. They were natives of Ireland and 
were married in New York, after coming to this coun- 
try. In 1858 they came to Minnesota and William 
O'Connell located on a government claim in Wright 
county where he engaged in the constructive work 
of the frontier farmer, clearing the wild land and 
continuing the improvement of it until his death, 
March 13, 1874. The death of his wife occurred in 
1908 and they are survived by seven childi-en; the 
six sons of the family all residing in the State. 
James P. O'Connell, bom in the early days of the 
development of the country, has witnessed the many 
stages of its progress and has taken a keen interest 
in the obseiwation of the forces which have so rapidly 
forced the evolution of the primitive wilderness into 
a popiilated and productive agricultural region. He 



remained on the homestead in Wright county until 
nineteen years of age, meanwhile attending the pub- 
lic schools and then became a telegraph operator on 
the Great Northern railroad. After three years of 
able service in this position, he was appointed sta- 
tion agent for the road at Warren, Minnesota, and 
continued in this capacity for sixteen years. In 
1914 he was made receiver at the government land 
office at Crookston, a position for which his efficient 
and satisfactory service has proven him eminently 
fitted. Mr. O'Connell has always given his active 
interests to the affairs of the Democratic party and 
in fraternal circles, is a well known member of the 
Elk lodge. His marriage to Loui.se Flannigan was 
solemnized at Waverly, in 1900. She, like her hus- 
band, is a native of Minnesota, born at Watertown. 
They have three children, James, Sydnie Georgiana 
and Paul J. Mr. O'Connell and his family are mem- 
bers of the Catholic church. 



GUNDER STENERSON. 



Gunder Stenerson, of Erskine, a prominent lum- 
berman of the northwest, is identified with two well- 
known lumber companies, as manager of the company 
of Stenerson Brothers, lumber dealers and contractors, 
and president of Stenerson Lumber corporation. He 
is a native of Norway, bom August 1, 1864, and came 
to this country, accompanied by his brother, Sven 
Stenerson, in 1886. They worked during one winter 

in the pineries of Michigan and then went to Dane 
13 



county, Wisconsin, where they were employed in the 
lumber camps and at farm labor. In 1887 they were 
joined by the third brother, Knute Stenerson, and in 
the following year the three brothers removed to Min- 
nesota. Being acquainted with the locality of Pelican 
Rapids through friends and relatives, who resided 
there, they bought eighty acres of timber land near 
that place. The land was covered with hardwood 
and with an expenditure of about four hundred dol- 



202 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



lars they installed a portable sawiaill ami secured 
some pine timber, and from this modest start, with 
notable management and business ability, they have 
built one of the important lumber industries and cor- 
porations of northern Minnesota. In 1892 the Sten- 
erson brothei-s, with Evan Olegaard, established the 
Olegaard & Stenerson company, with a lumber yard at 
Erskine. In 1890 Stenerson brothers started a yard 
at Pelican Rapids, and later bought the other yards 
at Mentor, Felton and Borup. Sven Stenerson was 
a carpenter by trade and through his extensive opera- 
tions as a contractor and builder in Pelican Rapids 
added this business to the company's interests. Upon 
the organization of the company, Gunder Stenerson 
was made manager and put in charge of the Erskine 
yards and Knute Stenerson retained the direction of 
their interests at Pelican Rapids, and this arrange- 
ment has continued to the present time. In 1895 ]\Ir. 
Olegaard withdrew from the firm and the company of 
Stenerson Brothers was formed, and has enjoyed a 
steadily growing trade, prospering in all its enter- 
prises, in the lumber business and as building con- 
tractors, a present important contract being the 
erection of a United Lutheran church at Erskine at 
an estimated cost of some ten thousand dollars. The 
yard at Mentor had been sold and was later re- 
bought. As operated at present, the yards are located 
at Pelican Rapids, Erskine and Mentor, and the com- 
pany is owned by Gunder Stenerson and Knute Sten- 
erson, Sven Stenerson having sold his interest in 
1913 and returned to Norway, where he purchased the 
old family home and made it his permanent residence. 



The Stenerson Lumbt-r company was incorporated 
with a capital of $100,000 and conducts an ex- 
tensive business through its yards at Earhardt, Hal- 
stad and various other places. Gunder Stenerson is 
the president of the company, Knute Stenerson vice 
president and L. I. Grina secretary, treasurer and 
manager. The other stockholders are Sven Stenerson, 
Melvin Grina, the manager of the yard at Earhardt ; 
Conrad Grina, local manager at Borup, and Ole 
Grina, who is in charge of the branch oiifice at Halstad. 
Gunder Stenereon is widely known through his suc- 
cessful association with the various important business 
interests of his busy career and as business man and 
citizen is highly esteemed by all, and aside from his 
active interest and support of public endeavor has 
given valuable service in local office, as mayor and 
member of the school board and is a present member 
of the town council. In 1907 he returned to his native 
land for a visit, but has continued to make his home 
at Erskine since 1892, spending the summer months 
at his cottage on Lake Sarah, a few miles distant. lie 
was married in 1894 to Betsy Torgeson, daughter of 
Thomas Torgeson, a pioneer of the Thirteen Towns, 
who opened the first hotel in Erskine in 1888 and is 
now living on his farm, one mile south of the village. 
Five children were bom to Mr. Stenerson and his 
wife, four of whom, Ragna, Ingeman, Christine and 
Gordon, are now living. A daughter, Corrine, died in 
early childhood. They are members of the Synod 
Lutheran church, where Mr. Stenerson gives active 
service as treasurer. 



MARTIN O'BRIEN. 



Martin O'Brien, of Crookston, a prominent 
attorney and eminent citizen of the state, was boni 
in Boone county, Illinois, October 15, 1867. He is 
the son of Michael and Mary (Tighe) O'Brien, who 
were natives of Ireland. Michael O'Brien was born 
in county Mayo and was married to Mary Tighe in 
her native county of Sligo. They came to this 



country about 1850, locating in Boone county, Illinois, 
where he followed his trade of stone mason. They 
continued to make their home here until their death. 
Seven children survive them and three of the sons 
reside in Crookston. Martin O'Brien was reared in 
his native state and received his early education in 
the county schools. After graduating from the high 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



203 



school at Belvidere, Illinois, he began the study of law 
in the office of Judge R. W. Wright, a pioneer lawyer 
of Boone county. In June, 1889, he was admitted to 
the bar and located immediately in Crookston and 
began the practice of law. He has engaged in the 
general practice of his profession and from the 
inception of his career has met witli noteworthy suc- 
cess, winning the regard and approbation of his legal 
associates. For two years he was a member of the 
firm of Wilkinson, Schmidt & O'Brien in partnership 
with A. C. Wilkinson and P. C. Schmidt. Since 
leavuig this firm he has conducted an independent 
practice. Mr. O'Brien is a member of the Democratic 
party and is extensively identified with the political 
affaii-s of the state. He has been actively interested 
in many of the important conventions, serving as 
delegate at large in national convention of 1908 and 
district delegate to the national convention of 1912 
and was made the Minnesota member of the committee 
on resolutions in both national conventions. He was 



elected chairman of the state democratic committee 
in 1912 and served in this office until his professional 
duties necessitated his resignation and forced him to 
decline re-election. Whereupon he was elected vice 
chairman and made a member of the executive com- 
mittee. He is at present city attorney of Crookston, 
having served in that office five terms. His adminis- 
tration of public matters has been characterized by 
the same display of integrity and ability that has 
marked his private legal affairs. He has also served 
the county in the capacity of assistant to the county 
attorney in important matters of litigation, in which 
the county was interested. He has been E. R. of the 
Crookston Lodge P. B. 0. E. and a member of the 
Grand Lodge of that order. He served for five years 
as member national board of Auditors, M. W. of A. 
He was man-ied in Minneapolis, in 1904, to Elizabeth 
Mealia, who is a native of Minnesota. They have 
three children, Marion, John and James. 



ARTHUR A. MILLER. 



Arthur A. Miller, of Crookston, well-known lawyer 
and identified with the banking interests of the north- 
west, was bom in Rock county, Wisconsin, September 
16, 1851. His parents, Samuel and Sophia (Reid) 
Miller, were natives of Nova Scotia and came to Wis- 
consin in 1851. Here Samuel Miller located on timber 
land and began the arduous task of clearing and cul- 
tivating this tract. He devoted the remainder of his 
life to his farm and developed a fine property. His 
death occurred in 1888 and that of his wife in 1914. 
Three children survive them, a daughter, who is the 
present owner of the old homestead; a son, residing 
at Harvard, 111., and Arthur A. Arthur A. Miller 
was reared on his father's farm and attended the 
schools at Milton, Wis., where he graduated. He 
then entered the educational field and spent eight 
years teaching in the schools of his native state. But 
his ambitions were centered in the legal profession 
and in 1882, he began the study of law. The follow- 



ing year he was admitted to the bar and located in 
Fargo, N. D. After five years of successful practice 
in that city, he formed a partnership with Mr. Foote 
and the new firm of Miller & Foote was established at 
Crookston in 1888, where they have enjoyed a large 
and lucrative practice. As a lawyer, Mr. Miller has 
won the respect and confidence of his professional 
associates. Aside from his legal activities he has been 
prominently identified with the growth of the financial 
institutions of this region. In these interests, he is 
associated with his law partner, Mr. Foote. In 1906 
they bought the controlling interest in the Scandia 
American State bank. Other banks in which they 
own shares are the First National of Cass Lake, the 
Citizen State of Mcintosh, the First State bank at 
Thief River Falls, the First National of Warren and 
the First National bank of Crookston. Mr. Miller also 
has extensive land interests, owning several thousand 
acres of farm land. His political affiliations are with 



204 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



the Republican party and altlio he has evaded 
active participation in the political arena he has 
faithfully discharged the duties of good citizenship. 
As a pioneer citizen of Polk county, he has been 
honorably associated with its progress and prosperity. 
His marriage to Alice L. Page of Rock county, Wis., 
occurred in 1877. Four children have been born to 
this union, Albert A., who died in 1891, Lucius S., 



Annie M., who is the wife of Harry L. ]Mar.sh of 
Crookston; and Harold P. Mr. Miller is a thirty- 
second degree Mason, a Shriuer and member of the 
Commandery. He is also a member of the State 
Historical society of Minnesota. Mr. Miller and his 
family are communicants in the Congregational 
church of Crookston. 



G. 0. HAGE. 



G. 0. Hage, cashier of the Polk County State bank 
of Crookston, is a native of the state, bom in Norman 
county. May 7, 1882. He is the son of Ole R. and 
Martha B. (Birkland) Hage, who came to this 
country from Norway in 1866, settling in Fillmore 
county, Minnesota, and as pioneer farmers of the 
state are identified with its early history and develop- 
ment. They lived for a number of years in Norman 
county and then removed to Crookston, which is their 
present home. G. 0. Hage was reared on his father's 
farm in Norman county and received his early educa- 
tion in the country schools. He then entered Crooks- 
ton college and after three years of study in that 
institution, spent one year in the University of North 
Dakota. After leaving the university he engaged for 
a time in clerical work in Crookston and then became 
interested in the real estate business which he 



operated with marked success. During this time he 
also served as assistant clerk for the state legislature 
for two sessions. Mr. Hage was among the first to 
promote the establishment of the new bank and it 
was largely through his unfailing interest and efforts 
together with P. M. Ringdal that the organization 
of this successful enterprise was cidmiiiated in 1913 
and since that time he has been associated with its 
management as cashier and director. As business 
man and citizen, Mr. Hage is actively interested in 
the advancement of the general welfare and pros- 
perity. He is a member of the Elk lodge. He was 
man'ied in June, 1911, to Nellie Christianson, daugh- 
ter of N. Christianson, a pioneer of Polk county. They 
have one child Norma. Mr. Hage and his family are 
members of the First Methodist Episcopal church of 
Crookston. 



LOUIS GON^EA. 



Louis Gonyea, of Crookston, well known business 
man and ex -sheriff, has been prominently identified 
with the history of the county since its early settle- 
ment. He was born in Old-Town, Penobscot county, 
Maine, March 10, 1845, the son of Henry and Flora 
(Betters) Gonyea, who were natives of the province 
' of Quebec, Canada. Henry Gonyea engaged in the 
milling business and for sometime worked in the 
Maine pineries. In 1874 he went to Minneapolis and 
ten years later removed to Crookston, where the 
deaths of himself and wife occurred at the home of 



their son, Louis Gonj'ea. The latter was reared in 
his native state and when eighteen years of age 
enlisted in Company G of the Second Maine cavalry 
and saw active service during the remaining two 
years of the Civil war. His regiment was detailed to 
the gulf campaign and was under the command of 
General Butler. After receiving his honorable dis- 
charge in 1865, IVIr. Gonyea returned to Maine and 
four years later went to Saginaw, Michigan, where 
he remained until 1871 when he continued his west- 
ward journey and located in Minneapolis, entering 



COMPENDIUil OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



205 



the employ of Caleb Dorr in the Mississippi and Rum 
River Boom company. In 1878 he came to Crooks- 
ton, then a small pioneer village, and entei'ed a 
claim on government laud. For several years he 
engaged in the development of his land and farming 
interests, meanwhile working for a time with a mill- 
ing company on the Red river. As a citizen, Mr. 
Gonyea has been notably associated with the growth 
of public interests and gave his first official service 
as a member of the police force of Crookston, which 
was organized in 1884. He remained on the force for 
fourteen years and was chief of police for eleven 
years. In 19G1 he was appointed deputy sheriff 
under E. J. Sullivan and in 1905 was elected to the 
office of sheriff and continued to give efficient service 
during two terms. Subsequently he spent some time 
traveling tlirough the western states and returned to 



Crookston to open a real estate office, conducting ex- 
tensive land transactions which have made the Gon- 
yea Land company one of the prosperous business 
organizations of the county. During the many years 
of his useful career, as soldier, pioneer citizen and 
successful business man, Mr. Gonyea has earned the 
esteem and confidence of all for his many able serv- 
ices. He was married in Minneapolis, in 1873 to 
Olivia Darwin, who was a native of Canada. Her 
death occurred in 1906. Eleven children were born 
to this union, five of whom are now living, Lillian, 
the wife of Mr. Sandberg of Crookston; Louis J., who 
resides in Washington; Mamie, who married Mr. C. 
Langley and lives in Idaho, Alexander C, and George 
W., who are residents of Crookston. LIr. Gonyea is 
a meniber of the Republican party and of the Elks 
lodge. 



HON. A. D. STEPHENS. 



Hon. A. D. Stephens, president of the Merchants' 
National Bank of Crookston, former mayor of Crooks- 
ton and state senator, is a typical representative of 
its best and most serviceable citizenship. He has 
lived in Crookston continuously for more than thirty . 
years, and has passed the whole of his life in Minne- 
sota to the present time. 

Mr. Stephens was born in Carver county, this state, 
in 1855, a son of Lars and Ilannalr (Peterson) 
Stephens, natives of Swieden, where they were reared, 
educated and married. The father came to the 
United States in 1851 and the mother in 1853. They 
located in Carver county, Minnesota, in 1854, and 
were among the pioneers of that county, clearing a 
farm there from the wilderness, and helping to lay 
the foundations of the county's industrial, civil, social 
and educational institutions. The father filled with 
credit to himself and benefit to the county several 
different local offices, and stood high in the regard of 
the people. He died in Kandiyohi county a number 
of years ago. The mother is still living and is now 
ninety-seven years of age. 



A. D. Stephens was reared and educated in Carver 
county in part, completing his academic course at 
Gustavus Adolphus College. After leaving college 
he passed some years in clerking, as a salesman on 
the road and in other occupations, and in 1880 located 
at Fisher, Polk county, where he engaged in general 
merchandising. In 1884 he took up his residence in 
Crookston as the representative of the Corbin Bank- 
ing company. In 1891 he purchased an interest in 
the Merchants National Bank of Crookston, of which 
he became president after serving the bank some time 
as cashier. The bank has grown in patronage and 
influence under his careful management, keeping 
progress with the current of events and up to date 
at all times in all departments and features of its 
business. It is held to be one of the safest, soundest 
and most satisfactory banks of its rank in the North- 
west. Mr. Stephens is interested also in several other 
banks in Polk county and other places in Minnesota. 
He is one of the directors of the Scandinavian- 
American Bank of Minneapolis and president of a 
bank in Montana. 



206 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



The piil)lif affairs of liis city, county, state and 
country haw always receivetl careful, studious and 
serviceable attention from Mi". Stephens, and he has 
taken an active part in them. He served as mayor 
of Crookston in 1893 and again in 1900. In 1902 he 
was elected a member of the state senate, and during 
his service in that body he was the chief instrument 
in obtaining the location of the Northwestern School 
of Agriculture at Crook.ston. This institution has 
done a great work in promoting advanced farming in 
the northwestern i)art of the state. 

Mr. Stephens is a public speaker of ability, elo- 
quence and force, and is in frequent demand for 
public addresses of various kind.s. He has been par- 
ticularly successful in political speeches in many 
campaigns, advocating and defending the principles 
and candidates of the Republican party, to which he 
has always belonged and in which he has long been 
prominent. He has been strongly l)rought forward 
by his friends as the candidate of that party for the 
governorship of the state at different times and was 
a delegate to the Chicago Repul)lican National con- 
vention of 1904 which nominated Theodore Roosevelt 
for the Presidency, and in the campaign which fol- 
lowed he urged Mr. Roosevelt's el(>ction with great 
fei-vor and effect. 



Even wlien out of office Mr. Stephens has devoted 
considerable activity to i)romotiiig tlie welfare of the 
state and its public institutions. He was the leading 
force in bringing about improved methods of admin- 
istration at tile State Reformatory for Boys at Red 
AVing. He preferred charges before the legislature 
against the management of that institution, and the 
investigation that followed resulted in the abolition 
of corporal punishment there and other reforms in 
the discipline and government of the institution. 

In 1878 Mr. Stephens was united in marriage 
with Miss Christie Cameron, a native of Canada. 
They have two sons, Marcus, Merriam and one daugh- 
ter Andrea. The sons are employed in the Merchants 
National Bank of Crookston and Miss Andrea is 
attending school. Fraternally their father is a mem- 
ber of the Masonic Order, the Order of Elks and the 
Swedish Order of Vass. 

During his service in the senate he introduced the 
bill which provided for the payment of inmates of 
state penal institutions for labor performed. The first 
law of its kind in the world and on which the state 
is now paying from $75,000 to $80,000 per annum, 
and which has worked wondrous good among the 
inmates. Is also a member of State Iiiiinigratioii 
board serving second term. 



THOMAS A. HARRIS. 



Thomas A. Harris, of Crookston, a well known 
citizen and pioneer, has been a resident of that city 
since 1877 and actively associat-ed' with the history of 
its growth and progress. Pie is the son of George P. 
Harris, a native of Ireland and Jane (Burns) Harris, 
who was born in New York state. George P. Harris 
was a clei'gj'man of tlie Methodist Episcopal church 
and came to Canada to undertake inissionarj' work. 
He gave eminent service in this field and became the 
presiding elder of the district of upper Canada. In 
1861 he removed to Waba.sha county, Minnesota and 
soon afterwards, enlisted in Company I of the Fii-st 
Minnesota mounted rangers and re-enlisted a year 



later in Company D, Second Minnesota cavalry, 
serving in the Indian wars of the northwest during 
four years and took part in all the engagements of 
the uprising of 1862. His son, John Harris, was also 
active in the subjection of the insurrections of that 
year. George Harris was one of those, who by 
integrity of character and noble service lay the foun- 
dations for the progress of civilization. His death 
occurred in California and that of his wife in Wash- 
ington. Their two sons .survive them ; John Harris 
now residing in Spokane. Thomas A. Harris was 
born in Ontario, Canada, in 1848 and came to Minne- 
sota with his father when a lad of tliirteeii. In 1877 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



207 



he located in Crookston, then but a village of a few 
log cabins and has pursued a long and honorable 
career as business man and citizen and enjoys the 
respect and esteem of all for his many worthy 
services. He has conducted an extensive business as 
a contractor for the moving of buildings and also has 
farming interests in the county. He is a member of 
the Republican party and has been honored with 
several public offices, giving efficient service as a 
member of the city council for ten years and as 
deputy sheriff. Also served as first justice of the 
peace and assessor of Crookston in 1878-79. Mr. 



Harris is a veteran of the Civil war, having enlisted 
at the age of seventeen in Company I of the First 
Minnesota battalion of infantry and serving with his 
regiment in Virginia during the last few months of 
the war. He was married in 1870 to Adelaide L. 
Gordon, who is a native of Michigan. Five children 
were born to them, of whom the eldest son, Albert G. 
Harris, is dead. The surviving members of the 
family are, Frederick B., Bruce F., Arthur, Elmer D. 
and Ethel A. Mr. Harris is a member of the Elk 
fraternity. 



HENRY 0. BALSTAD. 



Henry 0. Balstad, stock farmer and well known 
citizen of Sletten township, is a native of Minnesota, 
born at Fergus Falls, June 2, 1886, the son of K. 0. 
Balstad and Gina (Weiby) Balstad. When he was 
nine years of age his father located on a farm in Slet- 
ten township and here Henry Balstad was reared and 
received his early training. He decided to devote his 
attention to farming and to the practical experience 
which he had already attained, he added two years of 
study in the State Agricultural college at St. Anthony 
Park, in preparation for his work. He has always 
lieen associated with his father in his business opera- 
tions and transactions and like his father, devotes his 
farming interests to the stock business. His farm of 
one hundred and sixty acres is in section twenty-eight 
of Sletten township and he is using three hundred 



and twenty acres in his farming operations. He is 
breeding Hereford stock and grazing and feeding 
cattle for the market. Mr. Balstad is one of the 
younger farmers who are capably carrying on the 
development of the county, increasing the prosperity 
established by the thrifty pioneers. Able and in- 
telligent management and alei'tness to anything 
which will promote the efficiency of his work combine 
to render him successful in all imdertakings. He 
with his father were among the first to build silos in 
the township. Aside from his private interests, Mr. 
Balstad finds time to consider matters of public 
moment and welfare and serves as clerk of the school 
board. He was married to Olga Olson who was a 
resident of Sletten township. 



H. L. LARSON. 



H. L. Larson, a prominent manufacturer and ex- 
mayor of Crookston, is a native of Norway, born near 
Bergen, December 11, 1864, the son of Ole M. and 
Helen Larson. The father engaged in farming in 



age, in company with a sister and located at St. Peter, 
where he worked as a laborer for a time and then 
secured employment with an uncle in a factory. He 
later removed to St. Paul, where his older brother 



his native land during his lifetime and the mother was living and worked at the carpenter trade with 
still resides at the old home. Of their family of him, for several years and then engaged in the con- 
seven children, four emigrated to America, H. L. tracting business at Little Falls, enjoying an ex- 
Larson came to Minnesota when seventeen years of tensive trade and erecting many of the more sub- 



203 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



stantial liomes of that city. Subsequently he removed 
liis coutraeting business to Ada, in Norman county, 
where he remained for nine years. He then located 
in Crookston and has since been notably associated 
with the business interests of that city. During the 
first four years of liis residence, he continued liis 
lucrative operations as a contractor and then estab- 
lished a manufacturing plant for the production of 
sash door and store and office fixtures. This enter- 
prise has become one of the leading industries of the 
city and commands a steadily growing trade. As a 
successful business man and prominent citizen, ^Ir. 
Larson enjoys the esteem and confidence of his busi- 
ness associates and fellow citizens and was honored 



with public office in 1911, when lie was elected mayor, 
with the additional distinction of being the only 
mayor ever elected on the socialist ticket in this part 
of the State, and won the approval of his constituents 
for his competent executive sendee. He was married 
in 1886 to Mary Johnson, whose death occurred in 
1900. Three children were born to this union, all of 
whom reside in Crookston, Lilly, who was married to 
Mr. Waade ; John and Elmer. Mr. Lai-son contracted 
a second marriage in 1915 with Mrs. Lee, who was a 
widow. In social organizations, he is affiliated with 
the Sons of Norway and the order of Eagles and 
Sc-andinavian Workmen Association. 



ANTON JENSEN. 



Anton Jensen, of Mcintosh, proprietor of the Mc- 
intosh Flour mills and of the electric light plant, is a 
native of Denmark, born July 7, 1857, and came to 
this country when six years of age, with his parents. 
They located in Waupaca, coiinty, Wisconsin, and 
there Anton Jensen grew to manhood. In 1880 he 
came to Polk county and took a homestead claim four 
miles east of Fertile and spent the next few years 
developing his land and also worked as a harvester 
and in other farm woi'k. In the fall of 1883 he went 
to Crookston and in the following year entered upon 
his first venture in the commercial world, opening a 
general store at Valley and operating the postoffice 
in conjunction with it. This enterprise which was 
established with a small capital met with a marked 
success, represented by an increase to a $4,000 stock 
and under able management was soon commanding 
an annual trade of $8,000. In 1893, Mr. Jensen sold 
the store and removed to Mcintosh, having bought, at 
some time previous a cpiarter interest in the flour 
mills at that place and has continued to be identified 
with this industry as manager and as sole proprietor 
since 1897, when he bought the interests of the other 
shareholders. The mills, one of the leading business 
institutions of that region, were erected in 1889 by 



the J. P. Johnson company, with an investment of 
some twelve thousand dollars, and are operated by the 
roller process, with the capacity for handling seventy- 
five barrels per day. Mr. Jensen has enlarged the 
original building and has installed machinery for the 
milling of rye and buckwheat; the plant now repre- 
senting a capital of about twenty tliousand dollars. 
He conducts a custom and exchange business with an 
extensive patronage in the surrounding territory and 
as a grain dealer, ships many car loads of wheat. In 
the mercantile trade, his I X L brand of flour has 
attained a high reputation among the retailers. In 
1900, he installed the electric light plant, using the 
mill power to operate the machinery, which required 
an investment of $5,000. This enterprising under- 
taking received the ready approval and support of 
the citizens of Mcintosh and the company, which is 
managed by William Jensen, supplies lights for the 
streets and homes. Aside from his business activities, 
Mr. Jen.sen has given some attention to agricultural 
pursuits and makes his home on his farm which 
adjoins the town, the residence standing within the 
city limits. He also owns a quarter section of farm 
land north east of Mcintosh and two hundred acres 
of swamp land wliich he is reclaiming with drainage 






cyjy^-^ 



COMPENDIU:\I OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



209 



and developing. During the many years of his career 
in the county, Mr. Jensen has become widely known 
as a successful business man and public spirited citi- 
zen and has been prominently associated with the 
public interests of the community, giving active 
service in various offices, as a member of the school 
board and of the town council and was president of 
the latter body for several terms. He is a member 
of the Lutheran church and of the Knights of Pythias 



and Modern Woodmen of America. He was married, 
at Fertile, in 1884, to Nicoliue Hendricks, of Nicollet 
county, Minn. They have a family of six sons and 
one daughter, Arthur C, who is employed in a bank 
in North Dakota ; Alvin H., who lives at Trail and is 
in the lumber business; George E., the manager of 
the home farm and Clara S., Eraest C, Ralph W., 
and Vernon B., all of whom make their home with 
their parents. 



E. E. HANSEN. 



E. E. Hansen, superintendent of the Mcintosh 
public schools, was born at Thor, Humboldt county, 
Iowa, on November 19, 1880. He was reared on a 
farm and received his preparatory education in tlie 
country schools, later matriculating at St. Olaf 
coUege, at Northfield, Minn., where he graduated iu 
1909, with the degree of bachelor of arts. He imme- 
diately entered the teaching profession and taught iu 
the graded schools at Donaldson, Minn. In 1911, he 
came to Polk county, to accept the position of super- 
intendent of the graded school at Fisher and con- 
tinued to give competent service there until 19].'], 
when he taught at Henning in Ottertail county 
and in the next year, returned to this county to 
assume the superintendeney of the schools at Mc- 
intosh. This is one of the notable educational insti- 
tutions of the county, a record of its achievements 
being found elsewhere in this work, and its direction 
entails one of the most responsible pedagogical posi- 



tions in the county, for which Mr. Hansen has proven 
himself eminently fitted. His rapid promotion in 
his vocation attests to his ability and marks him for 
further distinction in his profession. His theories 
of education are broad and peculiarly adapted to the 
direction of an agricultural and vocational school 
and he considers a healthy interest in athletics, a 
beneficial phase of school activity. He is himself an 
out of door sportsman and enjoys his favorite recrea- 
tion of fishing. Mr. Hansen is an accomplished saxo- 
phone player, having been a member of the band of 
St. Olaf college, which made a tour of the Scandi- 
navian counties in 1906 and in 1909, played a week's 
engagement at the Alaskan Exposition at Seattle. He 
was married in 1915, in Ottertail county, to Edna 
Evanson, a former teacher at Henning. She is a 
native of Seattle and was educated in the Nonnal 
school at Moorhead and before her marriage, had 
been successfully engaged in the teaching profession. 



SUMNER CHESLY BAGLEY. 



Sumner Chesly Bagley, prominent lumberman and 
well-known farmer of Polk county, was born at Ar- 
gyle, Maine, June 1, 1831, and died at his home near 
Fosston, July 27, 1914. Throughout the greater part 
of a long and active career he engaged in the lumber 
business, where his wide experience and native ability 
brought him deserved success. In 1860 he left Maine 
and went to California, where he remained for nine 



years occupied in lumber and mining projects. He 
came to Minnesota in 1870 and became associated with 
T. B. Walker of Minneapolis in the lumber business, 
Mr. Bagley taking charge of large logging contracts. 
He operated on the Clearwater and Mississippi rivers, 
and got out about thirty million feet of timber during 
each winter season. During the summer months he 
took contracts with the railroads for grading and em- 



210 



COMPENDIU.M OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



ployed some two luindred men the year aroinul, with 
an equipment of one hundred teams which he owned. 
He built part of the grade on the Duluth division of 
the Great Northern railroad and engaged in similar 
work in Montana. Soon after coming to Jlinnesota 
he took a homestead claim in section 17 in Rosebud 
township and made this farm his home throughout 
the remainder of his life. "When failing health neees- 
sitated his retirement from the contracting business 
he turned his entire attention to his farming interests, 
which comprised 1,000 acres. He later sold 200 acres 
from his estate. Mr. Bagley was a man whose influ- 
ence was to be felt back of any cause which enlisted 
his allegiance. He was actively identified with mat- 
ters of public concern and interested in the growth 
and development of Fosston. The naming of the 
village of Bagley stands as a memorial to his citizen- 
.sliip. He was a member of the Republican party, and 
although he evaded political honors, he gave his ef- 



forts tVecly to promote its success. lie was possessed 
of great individuality and was strong in his convic- 
tions; a great lover of nature in all its forms, he 
refused to see life taken from animals, saying that 
"one should not take that which could not be re- 
stored." He took the keenest enjoyment in the life 
of the woods and lakes and camp life in the wilder- 
ness was one of his favorite recreations. He was 
married in Argyle, Maine, to Lydia Fernald. Three 
years after his marriage his wife died, leaving two 
sons, James, who is in the government employ in 
Maine, and Alfred, engaged in the manufacture of 
wooden articles at Bemidji, Minnesota. In 1897 Mr. 
Bagley was married to Gertrude Nelson, a native of 
Norway, who came with her parents to this country 
and located at Crookston. No children were born to 
this union and Mi-s. Bagley has taken her nephew, 
Lilmer Tygson, into her home. 



ALLAN J. MoKINNON. 



Allan J. McKinnon, a prominent business man and 
pioneer manufacturer of Crookston, was born near 
Montreal, Canada, on May 29, 1858. He is the son 
of Archibald and Jeanette (Gillis) McKinnon, 
natives of Inverness, Scotland, who emigrated to 
Canada in 1854. Allan McKinnon is one of five 
brothers who have been eminently identified with 
history of Ci'ookston since its early daj's. He was 
reared in Canada, where he attended the public 
schools until he was eighteen years of age when he 
came to the United States and for three years worked 
at St. Croix, Wisconsin, learning the trade of wagon 
maker. In 1879 he came to Crookston where his 
brother Alexander McKinnon had opened a wagon 
and carriage shop and in the following year, John R. 
McKinnon joined them in their business operations. 
This was the first industry of the kind in the county 
and they engaged in the manufacture of a full line 
of wagons, carriages and sleighs, finding a ready 
market in the surrounding territory and building up 



an extensive trade that kept pace with rapid settle- 
ment and development of the town and county. In 
1888, Alexander McKinnon retired from the company 
and the firm was dis.solved, Allan J. McKinnon and 
Archie McKinnon a.s.suming entire cliarge of the 
business, which has met with steady prosperity under 
his management. The selling of farm implements 
was added to the manufacturing enterprise and this 
has become the principal activity, although Mr. Mc- 
Kinnon still engages in manufacturing to some extent. 
As a successful business man and pioneer citizen, 
Mr. McKinnon is popularly known throughout the 
county and is liighly respected by all his associates. 
He is a member of the Democratic party and has been 
honored with various positions of public trust and 
has been prominently identified with the direction of 
city affairs as mayor and as a member of the city 
council for twelve yeara. He also served for three 
terms on the library board. He is a member of the 
Catholic church. Mr. McKinnon was married in 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



211 



1888 to Rose M. Powers, of Canada, and they have 
five children, Archie, John, Allan, Donald and Annie. 
In fraternal organizations, he is affiliated with the 



Modern Woodmen of America and the Ancient Order 
of United Workmen. 



PAUL K. FOSSBAKKEN. 



Paul K. Fosshakken, for many years a prominent 
farmer of Brandsvold township, was a native of Nor- 
way, bom October 20, 1860. In 1879, at the age of 
nineteen he was married to Ellen Dalen and soon 
afterwards came to this country to find a home on 
western land. He spent two years in Ottertail 
county, Minn., where he had a farm of forty acres. 
In 1885 he came to Polk county and took a homestead 
in Brandsvold township, six miles north of Fosston; 
the southeast quarter of section 10. He later Iwught 
another tract of land, increasing his farm to two 
hundred and eighty acres, all but fifty of which, he 
cleared and put under cultivation. With unceasing 
industry and skillful effort he developed this plat 
into one of the finest fanns and most attractive 
country homes in the county. He devoted his best 
interests to this work and took a just pride in his 
achievements. A county ditch crosses the farm and 
with the exception of the barn all of the present 
buildings, which occupy a pleasant situation, a 
quarter of a mile removed from the public highway, 
were erected bj' him. He kept a large herd of dairy 
cows and was a stockholder in cooperative creamery 
at Olga. In 1908, his bam burned and during his 
heroic efforts to save the other buildings, he suffered 
injuries which resulted in his death on February 25, 
1908. He did his share toward founding the agri- 
cultural prosperity of the county and is gratefully 



remembered by its citizens as a worthy pioneer of 
Brandsvold township. He was a member of the 
Republican party and an efficient member of the 
school board for several years. He was a faithful 
supporter of the United Lutheran church at Brands- 
void. Mr. Fosshakken wa«4 twice man-ied. Five 
children were born to the first union, MoUie, who is 
a teacher in the Polk county schools, Cliristopher, 
Lewis, Ida and Ella. His second marriage was with 
Anna Hansel, who survives her husband. They had 
four children, Elmer, Ira, Ruth and Esther, all living 
at Dalton, Minn. The five older children are the 
present owners and managers of the Fos.sbakken 
homestead and are capably advancing the interests 
of the estate which their father founded. They have 
all attended the agricultural college at Crookston and 
their farming enterprises are flourishing under pro- 
gressive and able management. The place is well 
equipped with a silo, with a capacity of one hundred 
tons, a fine well and tank, a gas engine and windmill. 
In 1912 they began to breed Holstein cattle and have 
four head of registered stock and a large herd of 
blooded cattle. They engage in the dairy business 
and sell their produce to the Fosston creamery, and 
are further interested in the stock business in the 
raising of pure bred Yorkshire hogs. The Foss- 
hakken family are members of the United Lutheran 
church at Brandsvold. 



JOHN D. MacPHEE. 



Successful in all departments of his private busi- 
ness and displaying commendable energy, progres- 
siveness and judgment in the administration of public 
affairs, in which he has been engaged for some years 
in various capacities, John D. MacPhee, former 



mayor of Crookston and present county commissioner 
from the third district, is a typical representative of 
the citizenship of this section and creditable alike to 
it and to American manhood in general. He was 
bom in Ontario, Canada, May 14, 1855, the son of 



212 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



John and Hester (Galbraith) MaePhee, natives of 
Scotland who emigrated to Canada in 1847. They 
were farmers iu their native land and held to the 
oceupation of their youth in their new home, whui'e 
the mother died in 1894 and the father in 19((:5. 
Their offspring numbered six, four sons and two 
daughters. The parents were highly respected where 
they were known for their genuine wortli. 

John D. MauPhee grew to manhood in Canada and 
was engaged in farming there until 1879, when he 
came to the Red River valley and took ui> his resi- 
dence in I'olk county. From the time of his arrivMl 
in this county he has been actively employed in 
farming, having been manager of the Loekhart farm 
of 6,000 acres for seventeen years and since the end 
of that period in charge of several farms of his own 
in Polk county. 



Although his private affairs have been exacting iu 
their requirements at all times, Mr. MacPhee has 
always taken an active and leading part in local 
public affairs also. He served in the city council of 
Crookstou for some time, and was mayor of the city 
from Sept., 1906, to Jan. 1st, 1910, being the first 
mayor under the new city charter. Since 1912 he 
has been a memlier of the board of county commis- 
sioners. Politically he is a Republican. Fraternally 
he is a Freemason and a member of the Order of 
Elks. He is widely known in this part of the country 
and everj'where he is highly respected. In 1888 he 
was united in marriage with Miss Susan Cheney, a 
native of Bellevue, Jackson county, Iowa. They liave 
one child, their daughter Lucy. 



ANDREW PETERSON. 



Andrew Peterson, a well known business man of 
Mcintosh, has been a resident of the county since 
1883, when he located on land in Hill River town- 
ship. He was born in Sweden, August 8, 1860, and 
there grew to manhood, apprenticing himself to the 
trade of cabinet maker and engaged in that work 
until 1881 when he came to the Ignited States. He 
settled in North Dakota and took a preemption claim 
near Grafton but after two years removed to Polk 
county and filed a homestead claim on the .southwest 
quarter of section seven of Hill River township, eight 
and a half miles northeast of Mcintosh. Here he 
built a log cabin and entered upon tlie task of clear- 
ing the land which partly covered with brush and 
small timber. A few years later he erected a larger 
log house and for several years devoted his efforts to 
the development of the farm, putting about one hun- 
dred acres under cultivation. He continues to own 
the homestead which is one of the good farm proper- 
ties of the region and in 1914 replaced the log house 
with a modern frame building. In 1901 he withdrew 
from his farming activities and returned to his trade 
and engaged in carpentering work in Mcintosh for 



a time and was then employed in the sash and dom- 
factory at Crookston for a year. He opened his shop 
in Mcintosh, for cabinet and general wood work, in 
1903, and has Iniilt up a successful business and is 
widely known for the skill and thoroughness of his 
workmanship. He conducts a prosperous trade in 
the various lines of his production and enga|res iu 
the construction of store fronts, doors and makes a 
specialty of church fixtures, his handicraft being 
represented in a number of the church interiors of 
the county. He has also given his attention to the 
contracting business. Mr. Peterson has ever given 
freely of his sei'V'ices and interests in the promotion 
of the general welfare of the county and as business 
man and citizen has won the respect of all his asso- 
ciates. Although his ready support is given any 
worthy project of public moment, he has always 
avoided official recognition in local government, pre- 
ferring not to incur any restrictions on the independ- 
ence of his activities. He is a member of the Lutlieran 
church. His marriage to Olivia Enarson occurred in 
1893, in Hill River townsliip. She was born in 
Sweden and came to Polk county when eleven years 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



213 



old with her father, Olaf Eiiarson, a well known 
fanner and land owner. Mr. Euarson, upon his 
arrival in the county, suffered the loss of his entire 
capital, which consisted of a twenty doUar gold piece, 
in attempting to extricate his wagon from its lodg- 
ment in a stream, en route to his new home, and so 
began to build his fortunes in this county with no 
financial assistance, but with native ability and un- 
ceasing labor and thrift has become the largest land 



owner in Hill River township. A brother of Mr. 
Peterson, John Peterson, was also a homesteader in 
Hill River township and was well known in the 
county as registrar in the United States land office 
at Crookston, serving in that position until the 
appointment of the present registrar, Mr. Ringdal. 
John Peterson resides in Crookston but has been 
compelled to retire from all activities because of fail- 
ing health. 



A. J. HEATH. 



A. J. Heath, editor and proprietor of the Mcintosh 
Times, one of the popular newspapers of the county, 
was bom near Portland, Maine, and came west in 
his childhood. In his youth he devoted his ambitions 
and energy to securing an education and with deter- 
mined effort and steady application to his purpose, 
after receiving an academic training in the night 
schools at Minneapolis, pursued his studies through 
the collegiate course. Since his early activities in 
the commercial world, he has been identified with the 
printing business and was employed for some time 
as a pressman and later as a reporter on a metro- 
politan daily. Subsequently he spent three years 
in southern Minnesota, where his work supplied a 
thorough mechanical and literary training for the 
newspaper business, his duties ranging from the job 



room and type setting to the editorial chair. Since 
August, 1914, he has been the proprietor of the Mc- 
intosh Times, where his able management has not 
only advanced the popularity of the sheet and the 
prosperity of the business but has attested to his 
intelligent understanding of his profession and his 
efficiency and natural ability as a newspaper man. 
The Mcintosh Times was established in 1887 and is 
Democratic in its editorial policy. The plant is fully 
equipped for competent operation, with a good four 
page press and linotype machine and commands a 
successful trade in job work. The paper is a weekly 
publication and is a clean, progressive sheet of eight 
pages and is all home print, with a circulation of 
one thousand subscribers. 



EVERETT A. WEBSTER. 



Everett A. Webster, of Mcintosh, a leading busi- 
ness man of the county, extensively identified with 
the interests of the north west as a merchant and 
land owner, was born at Daleville, Lackawana county. 
Pa., May 20, 1873, and has been a resident of Minne- 
sota since his early childhood. He was reared in 
Lake City, and there attended the public schools, 
graduating from high school in 1891. For five years 
he was in the employ of Miller & Foote in Crookston 
and subsequently spent a year in Colorado. In 1902 
he located in Mcintosh and embarked upon an inde- 



pendent commercial career, buying a half interest in 
the Larsen & Carpenter Co., dealers in hardware, 
agricultural implements and furniture, forming a 
partnership with Paul Carpenter. The firm of Car- 
penter & Webster have conducted a steadily in- 
creasing trade during the eight years of their 
operation and since the destruction of their building 
by fire in 1909, which entailed a loss of about fifteen 
thousand dollars. Mr. Webster then became sole 
owner of the business and has erected a large modern 
business block, with a frontage of over two hundred 



214 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



feet. Beside his commercial activities, Mr. Webster 
was also associated with his brother iu the manage- 
ment of farm on a quarter section of land near 
Mcintosh, wliere they engaged in dairy farming and 
the breeding of Holstein cattle. The success of this 
project led to larger ojjerations and they sold the 
farm iind estal)lished a wholesale house at Virginia, 
Minn., as Webster Brothers, with Walter Webster as 
resident manager. This company engages in the ship- 
ping of stock and hay and the buying and selling of 
general produce and commands a large territory, 
including such trade centers as Ilibbing, Inter- 
national Falls, Grand Rapids, Deer River and is the 
distributing point for hundreds of miles of surround- 
ing agricultural country. They buy seven or eight 
car loads of blooded Holstein cattle, annually, in 
Wisconsin, which they .sell in Jlinncsota and North 
Dakota, and in 1914, shipped one hundred and sixty- 
three eai's of hay, a record which the steady growth 
of the business will advance to two hundred, in 1915. 
Mr. Webster is that type of business man and citizen 
who is never content with present achievement but 
who uses each success as a stepping stone to larger 
accomplishment and is possessed of those positive 
qualities which have led inevitably to his valuable 
services in the public interest and to ramification of 
his business enterprises throughout the northwest. 
In 1906, he erected the first building in Epping, 
North Dakota, establishing a hardware, agricultural 
implement and furniture store, which he operated 
for seven years in partnership with C. F. Carpenter 
and P. W. Carpenter. Epping has now grown to a 
population of 100 and is a thriving village with four 



elevators, two banks and various mercantile com- 
panies and enjoys the unique distinction, which like- 
wise attests to its prosperity, of owning, in its twenty- 
eight machines, automobile accommodation for its 
entire population. ]\Ir. Webster's most recent enter- 
prise is the Webster Mercantile company, of Mc- 
intosh, which represents an investment of .$10,000. 
Mr. Webster is the sole proprietor and opened the 
store for general mercantile and retail trade on 
March 1, 1915. As one of the large property owners 
of the section, he has conducted extensive land 
transactions in this region and in North Dakota and 
has also become interested in tlie lumber business. 
His keen understanding of the elements of success 
has contributed to his notable industrial career and 
he has applied the .same confident and foi-ceful service 
to the promotion of the public welfare, and is ever 
alert to the w-orth of public or private enterprise and 
an energetic and fearless advocate of any cause which 
he espouses. As a member of the town council, he 
was influential in the regulation of the liquor traffic 
and the construction of side walks and has also been 
associated with civic affairs in official capacity as 
president of the Commercial club. In political belief 
he is pledged to no party organization and among 
fraternal orders is a member of the Modern Wood- 
men of America and the Independent Order of Odd 
Fellow's. Mr. Webster was married, in 1904, to Martha 
Munch, of Crookston. She was bom in "Wisconsin 
and is the daughter of the late William Munch, who 
was for many j-ears a grain buyer at Crookston. 
They have four children, Leslie, Marie, Tom and 
John. 



L. SHADDUCK. 



L. Shadduek, a well known citizen and business man 
of Mcintosh, was born in Clinton county, Iowa, April 
14, 1865, and came to Polk county in 1886. For a 
year he was in the employ of his cousin, H. C. Misner, 
a merchant and grain dealer at Euclid, whose son is 
now engaged in the abstract business at Crookston. 



In the fall of 1887, Mr. Shadduek went to Douglas 
county and for several years operated an elevator 
at Garfield for the Minneapolis & Northern Ele- 
vator company. He returned to Polk county in 1894 
to assume the management of the company's elevator 
at Mcintosh and during the nine years of his asso- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



215 



ciation with that entei-prise conducted a successful 
business, handling some six hundred thousand bushels 
of grain. In 1903 he left this position to engage in 
an independent business venture and became the pro- 
prietor of the Mcintosh Dray line and has since 
devoted his attention to its management, employing 
two teams in his prosperous operations. Through his 
recognition of the responsibilities of citizenship and 
his ready services in the promotion of the best in- 
terests and progress of the community, Mr. Shadduck 
is widely known and respected and, as an influential 
citizen and a member of the town council has en- 
thusiastically supported all local improvements, his 
own home, in its attractiveness and pleasant sur- 
roundings suggesting the sincerity of his efforts for 
the best civic conditions. Mr. Shadduck is prom- 
inently known in fraternal circles as a member of 
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Modern 



Woodmen of America and the Knights of Pythias 
and has given efficient service in various lodge of- 
fices, having passed all the chairs in Independent 
Order of Odd Fellows and is the chief consul of 
the local camp of Modern Woodmen. He has also 
been honored with office of representative to the 
grand lodges of both organizations. He was married 
at Alexandria, Minn., to Diana B. Sweet. She is a 
native of Illinois and came to Minnesota when ten 
years of age with her father, Stephen R. Sweet, who 
was for many years a farmer near Alexandria and 
whose death occurred in August, 1908, at his 
daughter's home in Mcintosh. Mr. Shadduck and 
his wife have five children, Vera A. the wife of 
JMorris Narverson of Mcintosh ; Harold, who grad- 
uated from the high school in 1914 ; Hazel, Grace and 
Martha. 



TOLLOF KJOLHAUG. 



Tollof Kjolhaug, a successful farmer of Rosebud 
township, was born in Norway, November 7, 1873 
and is the grandson of Tollof Kjolhaug, one of the 
pioneer settlers of that township. The latter had 
been a farmer in his native land and had also served 
as a sailor on merchant ships. He came to the United 
States in 1881, bringing his family to Fergus Falls, 
Minn., and in May 1883 located on the farm in Rose- 
bud township which continued to be his home through- 
out his life. He was one of the organizers and a 
faithful member of the United Lutheran church at 
Fosston. He never acquired the use of the English 
language but preferred to speak his native tongue. 
He was married to Gurine Berg and they had seven 
children, Simon, Iver, Oliver, Mary, who still lives 
in the old home; Caroline; Karey, wife of E. 0. Esten- 
son, living near Climax, Polk county, and Trine, who 
married Anton Hanson and resides near the same 
place. Tollof Kjolhaug died March 8, 1906 at the 
age of eighty-one and is survived by his wife, who 
is living on the homestead farm with her grandson, 



in her eighty-eighth year. Simon Kjolhaug took a 
claim in section fourteen of Rosebud township and 
was a well known thresherman in this region. He 
was active in township affairs and was one of the 
oi'ganizers of the township and held the office of 
assessor until his death in 1893. He married Anna 
Anderson of Polk county and they had two children, 
Martin, who is a graduate of the Crookston high 
school and county surveyor in Clearwater county. 
Minn., and Selma who with her mother makes her 
home in Gonvick, Minn., with Martin Kjolhaug, and 
is employed as teacher in the public schools. Iver 
Kjolhaug was a farmer in section fifteen. Rosebud 
township, for a number of years and since 1907 has 
resided in British Columbia, which is also the home 
of his brother Oliver. The subject of our sketch is 
the son of Andrew and Caroline Kjolhaug. His 
father died in Norway and he was reared by his 
grandfather and when eight years of age accompanied 
him to this country. He has always lived on the 
farm which was his grandfather's homestead, devot- 



216 



CO:^IPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



ing his efforts to its development and since 1895 lias 
had the entire management of it. The farm is 
equipped with good barns and the original house has 
been remodeled into a pleasant home. He has drained 
much of the marsh land with ditches and is now 
engaged in the construction of a county ditch, which 
will cross his land. He engages in diversified farm- 
ing, raising grain and cattle and is interested in the 
dairy business, keeping a herd of cows for that pur- 
pose. He was an organizer of the Fosston Coopera- 



tive creamery company and has served as president 
of the company since its organization. He is a mem- 
ber of the Republican party and is active in political 
matters and has been delegate to a number of con- 
ventions. Mr. Kjolhaug is interested in the public 
welfare and progress ajid has given able service in 
local affairs as supervisor and chairman of the board 
of supervisors and is the present treasurer of the 
township. He has never married. 



ALEXANDER FYFFE. 



Alexander Fyffe, a prosperous farmer, of Brands- 
void township, is a native of Ireland. Born in 1864, 
he was reared on a farm in a northern county of the 
old country and receiving an opportunity to come to 
the United States, having his fare paid to Boston, he 
began to win his way to success and prosperity in the 
new land. For about seven years he engaged in 
farming in Maine and 1890 came to Fosston. He 
spent several years working in the woods in the sur- 
rounding country and rented farming land until he 
finally secured the quarter section, which is his pres- 
ent home, purchasing it in 1896 from the bank in 
Fosston. It contained about seventy acres of pro- 
ducing land and he has now twice that acreage under 
cultivation. When he purchased this land and 
started his farming enterprise, he possessed a capital 
of two hundred and fifty dollars and a few head of 
stock, and from this with capable management and 



steady effort he has developed a fine property, and 
has erected good buildings and a delightful country 
home, pleasantly located on an elevation and in a 
grove. The land is in section twenty-two, and four 
tniles north of Fo.sston. Mr. Fyffe also operates 
another quarter section. He is devoting particular 
attention to dairying and keeps blooded stock, Guern- 
sey cattle and fine strains of draft horses. Mr. Fyffe 
is a self made man in the best sense of the word and 
as farmer and citizen enjoys the respect of all. He 
was married to Bertha Carver of Maine and they 
have six children. Angle, who married Carl Tuffte, 
a farmer in Canada, Albert, Rose, Mark, Everett and 
Vernie. Mr. Fyffe and his family are members of 
the M. E. church at Fosston. He takes great pleasure 
in out-of-door sports and is an enthusiastic hunter 
and fisherman. 



W. A. MARIN. 



W. A. Marin, of Crookston, a well-known attorney 
and prominent citizen of the county, was bom at 
Lexington, Sanilac county, Michigan, January 13, 
1874, the son of William and Adelaid (Moore) Marin. 
The latter was born in Canada and was the descend- 
ant of the English family of Moore, of which Sir 
John Moore, the famous Scottish general, was a mem- 
ber. William Marin is a native of Ontario, Canada, 



and of Irish ancestry. He engaged in the contract- 
ing business and in 1879 came to Crookston, then a 
small village, and opened a lumber yard and con- 
tinued for many years to be identified with the 
business development of the town as a contractor 
and lumberman. He now makes his home at North 
Yakima, Washington, and his family of three daugh- 
ters and a son are all residents of the state. W. A. 




W. A. MAEIN 



COMPENDIUM OP HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



217 



Jlarin was reared from early childhood in Polk county 
and was a member of the first graduating class of the 
Ci'ookston high school, in 1891. He spent some time as 
a teacher and for one year was the principal of the 
schools at Thief River Falls, but his ambitions cen- 
tered on a legal career and he began his preparatory 
studies by reading law in the offices of ]\Iiller & Foote. 
He completed his law course with two years' attend- 
ance at the Universitj' of Minnesota and in 1898 
was admitted to the bar and began to practice in 
Crookston, where he has established a high reputation 
as a successful lawj'er and is widely known in the 
state for his noteworthy professional attainments and 
efficient services in the public offices with which his 
ability has been recognized. He is actively asso- 
ciated with political matters and maintains independ- 
ence in his opinions and vote, but is a forceful 
supporter of the principles advocated by the Progres- 



sive party, and as a presidential elector in 1912 cast 
the vote of his district for the candidate of that party. 
In local affairs, he has served the public interests 
in various offices, as chairman of the sinking fund 
committee, as alderman at large in 1902 and is at 
present the chairman of the charter commission. In 
1910 Mr. Marin was a candidate for member.ship in 
the state legislature. He is i^rominently identified 
with the interests and activities of the legaf pro- 
fession as president of the Northwestern Lawyers 
association, and is associated with the business enter- 
prises of Crookston as a stockholder in the Scandia 
bank. Among the fraternal orders he holds member- 
ship in the Masonic fraternity and Elks lodge. Mr. 
Marin was married in 1899 to Emma Poelhler, of 
Minneapolis, and two daughters have been born to 
this union, Pauline and Adelaide. Mr. Marin and his 
family are members of the Episcopal church. 



ANDREW E. WOLD. 



Andrew E. Wold, a farmer in Brandsvold town- 
ship, is a native of Norway, born August 24, 1861. 
He was reared on his father's farm and came to the 
United States when twenty years of age, locating 
in Ottertail county, Minnesota, where his brother, 
Lars Wold, had settled in the previous year. Here 
he was employed in farm work for several years, his 
first wages being used to repay his passage money 
which he had borrowed. In 1887 he came to Polk 
county and bought a quaiter section of land in 
Brandsvold townshijj and entered upon the ardu- 
ous task of clearing his land for cidtivation. The 
only investment in stock whicli his meager resources 
allowed him at that time was a Polled Angus calf 
which he bought in Ottertail county for twenty- 
five dollars and this purchase marked the standard 
for Mr. Wold's farming activities, his farm has al- 
ways been stocked with finely bred animals. He de- 
voted all his time to the clearing off of the timber 
on the tract and for .several months, his brother 

assisted him in the work. In the second year, he 
14 



put in a crop and had it destroyed by the frost and 
in the following year suffered the same loss, saving 
but a small part of the crop for harvesting. This 
led to his determination to dispose of that place and 
secure a farm on higher ground and in 1891, he 
bought his present farm, the northeast quarter of 
section twenty-one of Brandsvold township, three 
miles and a half northwest of Fosston. This had 
been the former homestead of Sam Hanson, who had 
met his death by suicide and its primitive wildness 
had been practically undisturbed, a few acres having 
been cleared and a log shanty built on the claim. 
Mr. Wold was able to pay about half of the purchase 
price of $860 and with thrifty management, in a 
short time, cleared his property of debt. He now 
owned a number of head of stock and the work of 
developing the farm progressed steadily. The place 
was very advantageously located and included no 
waste land and required very little artificial drain- 
age. He has put one hundred and thirty of the 
one hundred and sixty acres under cultivation and 



218 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



the rest is utilized for pasturage, Mr. Wold engaging 
quite extensively in stock raising in addition to his 
grain farming. He raises short horn and red poUed 
cattle, breeding to secure a strain best adapted to 
general farm purposes and keeps a herd of sixteen 
dairy cows, selling cream to the cooperative creamery 
at Fosston. The farm is well equipped for eflBcient 
and profitable operation, the bam has modern con- 
veniences for the care of stock and accommodates 
some forty head. An excellent water system has 
been installed with tanks and troughs supplied by 
a gas engine from two spring wells. Mr. Wold r''- 
ealls that in the earlier days, in his Norwegian home, 
his fatlier had quite as convenient a plan in his barn 
for the watering of stock. The house which he first 
built on locating on this place, has been remodeled 
and included in the present modern structure which 
is pleasantly situated on a sightly elevation. I\Ir. Wold 
is associated with the business interests of the county 



as a stockholder in three important cooperative cor- 
porations, the creamer}^. Farmers Elevator and store 
companies at Fosston. He was actively identified 
with the organization of the Lutheran Brotherhood 
church at Fosston, of which the Reverend Gunhus is 
pastor and continues to be a faithful member of that 
congregation. His favorite recreation has been 
hunting, although he does not engage in this sport 
as much as formerly, making a frequent substitute 
for out-of-door pleasure with automobile trips. His 
marriage to Marie Joten occurred in Polk county, in 
1887. She is a native of Norway and had been a 
resident of Ottertail county. Of the family born 
to them, eight children are now living, Inger, wlio 
married Andy Possett and lives in Enderline, North 
Dakota; Edwin, Olga, Melvin and Lena, who are 
students in the high school at Fosston; Alfred, Selma 
and Bennie. 



OLE MELLESMOEN. 



Ole Mellesmoen, a pioneer citizen and successful 
farmer of Brandsvold township, was born in Norway, 
September 26, 1859, and came to the United States 
when twenty-two years of age, the first of his family 
to seek a home in the western land. He came to 
Minnesota and a short time afterward was joined by 
his father, B. 0. Mellesmoen, who located in Wadena 
county where he lived until 1911 and since that time 
has made his home with his son, Ole Mellesmoen. 
After two years in the new home, the latter helped 
two brothers to secure their passage to this country. 
Ole Mellesmoen lived for two years in Ottertail 
county and in 1883 removed to Polk county, taking 
a homestead claim on section twenty-three of Brands- 
void township, the southwest quarter. This was tim- 
ber land and his first home was built of logs cut from 
the place. To the development of this farm he has 
devoted the able efforts of many years and has been 
eminently .successful in all phases of his enterprise. 
It is one of the model farms of the region and one of 



the best locations, being situated on the main road 
north of Fosston, about three miles from that place. 
He has put over one hundred acres under cultiva- 
tion, the remainder being in timber land and in pro- 
ductiveness and equipment the farm can be favor- 
ably compared with those in the older and famed 
agricultural districts of the middle west. He has 
good buildings, attractively situated in fine natural 
groves and in 1908, erected his comfortable country- 
home. His farming interests have been directed to 
the raising of gi-ain and to daiiy farming, selling his 
dairj- produce to the cooperative creamery at Fo.ss- 
ton. Mr. Mellesmoen has been identified with tlie 
affairs of the township since its organization and at- 
tended the first election which was held in one of the 
pioneer homes. He was one of the first members of 
the Brandsvold United Lutheran church, of which 
he continues to be a faithful supporter. Mr. Mel- 
lesmoen was married in 1899 to Tnga Sagmoen, who 
was born in Norway and accompanied her parents 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



219 



to Polk county in 1881. No children have been born 
to them but they have taken a girl and boy into their 
home, Clara, M'ho has made her home with them since 
her fourth year and is now sixteen years of age and 



Ole, aged two and one-half yeai's. Jlr. Mellesmoeu 
is associated with the business interests of the county 
as stockholder in the Cooperative Creamery and in 
the Farmers Elevator companies in Fosston. 



E. G. EIvLUND. 



E. G. Eklund, well known farmer and prominent 
citizen of Polk county, has been for many years 
actively associated with its development and progress 
as public official, farmer and business man. He was 
born near Folland, Sweden, January 21, 1865. Here 
he attended school and as a young lad apprenticed 
himself to the trade of shoemaker. In 1882, at the 
age of seventeen, he came to the United States, join- 
ing an uncle who was then living in Alexandria, 
Minnesota. A year later he was able to financially 
assist his father on the journey from Sweden to a 
new home in the western state and some time later 
they were joined by his mother and half brother and 
sister. E. G. Eklund and his mother and half sister 
are the only members of the family now living. His 
first year was spent working on his uncle's farm and 
burning lime on the shores of Lake Carlos in Doug- 
las county. During this time he devoted all the time 
possible to the study of English in the countiy 
schools. He formed a i^artnership with another boy 
who was ambitious to acquire a thorough training 
in the language of their adopted country and they 
lived in a sod shack, attending school and taking 
contracts from the settlers for grubbing the wild 
land. One of these contracts involved a daily wage 
of fifty cents. In 1888 he made liis first trip to Polk 
county and two years later located here. In the fol- 
lowing year, 1891, he purchased eighty acres in Rose- 
bud township for five hundred dollars. This was 
timber and prairie land and only a few acres had 
been broken for cultivation. He was able to pay 
one hundred and .seventy-five dollars of the purchase 
price and it took ten years of arduous labor and 
thrifty management to complete the payment. In 
the meantime he bought another eighty acres, a mile 



and a half from the first tract, and this is part of 
liis present farm, three miles south of Fosston, and 
was all wild land. After selling the first place at a 
profit of thirteen hundred dollars he bought one hun- 
dred and twenty acres of partially developed land, 
paying twenty-two hundred and now owns a fine 
farm of two hundred acres, all of which is under cul- 
tivation. He has reclaimed the low land with open 
ditches and the county ditch which crosses the farm 
has completed an excellent drainage system. For a 
number of years he devoted his attention to the rais- 
ing of grain. He now keeps thoroughbred cattle and 
dairy cows, selling to the county cooperative eream- 
eiy company in which he is an original stockholder. 
His pleasant farm home was erected in 1905 and is 
attractively situated in a large grove of poplar and 
other native trees. In 1915 he added to his fann- 
ing equipment a fine bam. The successful manage- 
ment of this property has not monopolized Mr. Ek- 
lund 's efforts and he has devoted much time to the 
larger interests of the count}', generously support- 
ing and promoting important business enterprises 
which are identified with the general prosperity of 
the community and giving many years of able serv- 
ice in public offices. He was active in the organiza- 
tion of a creamery company in 1896, an unsuccess- 
ful venture, and in its re-organization into the pres- 
ent county cooperative company which handles the 
dairy produce of over two hundred and fifty farm- 
ers. He was one of the organizers of the Farmers 
Elevator company at Fosston, a company that has 
been of great benefit to the agricultural district, in- 
suring good prices at home. Mr. Eklund was the first 
president and has continued to be active in the ad- 
ministration of its transactions. Mismanagement on 



220 



coMPEXDiu:\r of history and biography of polk county 



tho part of an agent in cliargo, caused the loss of 
several thousand dollars and Mr. Eklund served on 
the eonnniltee which reorganized and put the com- 
pany on a substantial basis which has brought suc- 
cess. Tliey incorporated witli a capital of .$10,000 
and appointed as manager an efficient wheat buyer. 
In 1914, this companj' handled 61,000 bushels of 
grain. Another important institution in which he 
is interested is the Farmers Cooperative company, 
which operates a general store in Fosston. He is 
the president of the corporation. It has a capital 
stock of $73,000 and receives an annual trade of 
$22,000. Since 1894 Mr. Eklund has given continu- 
ous and valuable service in pulilic affairs. In that 
year he was elected township supervisor on the Pop- 
ulist ticket and was made chairman of the board of 
supervisors. In 190.'! he was elected county com- 



missioner from the Fourth district and held this 
office for twelve years, serving for a number of years 
as chairman of board, during which time he was 
active in promoting the construction of new roads 
and bridges. He is a member of the township board 
and has been chairman of it for over eighteen years. 
Sir. Eklund is now a member of the Republican party 
but has also been elected to office on the Populist and 
Independent tickets. He is that type of progressive 
and industrious citizen who are the chief factors in 
building up states aud is well known in the county. 
In 1890 he was married to Maria Hammergren, who 
was born near Alexandria, Minn., in 1870. They 
have raised a fine family of ten children, Harris Emil, 
Arnold Theodore, Alice Ruth, Raymond Wilfred, 
Hilma Viola, Eilert Jennings, Bertha Elvira, Stella 
Irene, Clarence Waldemar and Doris Evelyn. 



JOHANNES R. HOVE. 



Johannes R. Hove, of Queen township, a prosper- 
ous farmer and influential citizen of the county, was 
born in Norway, ]\Iarch 22, 1855. lie spent his boy- 
hood on a farm and was educated in the public schools 
of his native land. In 1882 he came to the United 
States and lived during the first year in Worth 
county, Iowa, and then removed to Polk county. Here 
he preempted land on section seven of Queen town- 
ship and after proving up on this land, six months 
later, in December, 1883, he took a homestead claim 
in section twelve of Brandsvold township, just across 
the township line from the first farm. With the ex- 
ception of marsh tracts, all of this land was covered 
with heavy timber, for the most part, poplar, and 
with thrifty enterprise and unceasing industry, he 
has put practically all of the three hundred and 
twenty acres under cultivation. During the early 
stages of the development of the farm, he employed 
various means of support, working during the har- 
vest seasons in Dakota and selling wood which he 
hauled to Fosston, receiving from one dollar and a 
quarter to two dollars a cord for it. Mr. Hove has 



devoted his life to his farming interests and witli 
intelligent study of every phase of his occupation 
and able management, has developed one of the finest 
farms in the county. He has installed an adequate 
ditching system which with a county ditch ha.s re- 
claimed some sixty-seven acres of slough land. The 
comfortable country home was erected eight years ago 
and in every particular, the farm demonstrates the 
successful application of modern and progressive ag- 
ricultural methods. The large new barn is thoroughly 
equipped with especial regard for winter feeding: 
the extensive watering s.ystem including troughs in 
the barn. He gives his attention to grain and stock 
raising, breeding short horn cattle and has met with 
unvaried succes"S in every enterprise and has never 
known a crop failure, one field yielding, in 1904, 
forty bushels of wheat to the acre. He has estab- 
lished equally high records in the dairy business, in 
which he engages extensively, having realized, in one 
month, $173.40 from dairy produce, with a herd of 
fifteen cows, beside what was required for family 
consumption. He is the largest producer in the Olga 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



221 



cooperative creamery, of which he was an original 
stock holder. Mr. Hove has been prominently as- 
sociated with the promotion of the best interests of 
the community in which he lives and was actively 
identified with the organization of both Queen and 
Brandsvold townships. He has been a faithful sup- 
porter of the Brandsvold United Lutheran church 
since its organization, in which he took an active part 



and has given efficient service for many j^ears as a 
church officer. His marriage to Betsy A. Yerstad 
was solemnized in his home in Queen township, in 
1887, by the Reverend Rude of Fosston. She was 
born in Norway in 1858 and was reared in the same 
neighborhood with her husband. They have a family 
of six children, Lena, Sonva, Olaf, Roy, Hans and 
Johanna. 



JOHN E. TUVENG. 



John E. Tuveng, a prosperous farmer of Brands- 
void township, is a native of Norway, born Septem- 
ber 10, 1860. He came to the United States and to 
Minnesota in 1880 and lived for a few years in Otter- 
tail county, employed at farm work during the sum- 
mer months and spending the winters in the Wiscon- 
sin lumber camps. In the fall of 1883 he came to 
Brandsvold township and filed a claim on the north- 
east quarter of section twenty-two and in the follow- 
ing summer, moved on his land and began the ardu- 
ous task of developing wild timber land into a cul- 
tivated farm. He built a one room, two story, log 
house with timber cut from his land and devoted 
what time he could to the clearing of his fields, and 
meanwhile found employment on neighboring farms. 
During the first year he worked without a team and 
then purchased a yoke of oxen. A few years later 
he bought forty acres of railroad land in section four- 
teen about three-quarters of a mile distant from his 
homestead, paying four dollars an acre. This tract 



is drained by a county ditch and has all been put 
under cultivation. He has cleared one hundred acres 
of the home farm and engages in the raising of grain 
and hay and keeps about twenty head of stock. He 
erected his present home in 1910 and has provided his 
place with good buildings and an excellent water sys- 
tem, with a well ninety feet deep which supplies tanks 
in the yards and barn. Mr. Tuveng has always taken 
an active interest in the affairs of the community and 
has voted in all the township elections with the ex- 
ception of the firet one. He was one of the organ- 
izers of the Brandsvold United Lutheran church, of 
which he is a faithful supporter. Mr. Tuveng was 
married in Norway, in 1898 to Lena Leiu and they 
have three children, Edwin, Palmer and Selma. Aside 
from his successful private enterprises, Mr. Tuveng 
is identified with the business interests of the county 
as stockholder in the Cooperative Creamery and Co- 
operative Elevator companies at Fosston. 



HANS 0. DUNRUD. 



Hans 0. Dunrud, a farmer in Brandsvold town- 
ship, was born in Norway, June 10, 1858. He is one 
of three brothers who filed on land in Eden township 
in the spring of 1884, before that township was sur- 
veyed. The other brothers, Ole Dunrud and Peter 
Dunrud, still reside on their homesteads there. Hans 
Dunrud was educated in the common schools of his 
native land and came to the United States in 1880, 



his parents lending hiin the money for his passage. 
On landing in this country he went to Clay county, 
Minnesota, where he worked at various employment 
and managed to repay his passage money in the first 
year, saving from his meager wages. As a farm 
laborer, he received twenty dollars a month and for 
the strenuous work of clearing laud of brush and 
timber, seventy-five cents a day, with fourteen work- 



222 



COMPENDIUM OP HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



ing hours in the day. In the second year he was able 
to send money to his parents and later they joined 
him in the western land. His father, Ole H. Dunrud, 
took as a homestead claim, the land in section one 
of Brandsvold township which is the present farm 
of Ole Dunrud and this remained the parents' home 
until their death. Hans Dunrud embarked upon his 
farming enterprise in Polk county with a capital of 
seven dollars, a yoke of oxen and cow and from this 
start with thrift and industry, he has steadily made 
his way to success and prosperity. During the first 
years he worked in Dakota and at Ada, Minnesota, 
in thfi harvest seasons, meanwhile giving what time 
he could to the clearing of the land, which was cov- 
ered with timber and draining the marsh land and 
ponds with ditches. The first home was a shack 
which was later replaced with a good log house which 



was in use until I'Jl^J when it was destroyed. He 
erected the present barn in 1905 and the modern 
frame house which is his home, was built in 1913. 
He has put all of the one hundred and sixty acres in 
cultivation except that reserved for pasturage, and 
aside from his general farming entei-prises is inter- 
ested in dairy farming. Mr. Dunrud is identified 
with the important business interests of the section 
as stockholder in the cooperative creamery at Olga 
and in the Farmers Elevator and cooperative store 
at Fosston. As one of the organizei-s of the Zion 
United Lutheran church in Eden township, he has 
been actively identified in its interests. His marriage 
to Mattie J. Haugen, a native of Norway, was sol- 
emnized in 1885. They have four sons, all of whom 
reside with their parents, Oscar, who owns a farm in 
Clearwater county, Martin, John and AVilliam. 



MARTIN TORGESON. 



Martin Torgeson, a well known farmer and thresh- 
erman of Brandsvold township, is a native of the 
state, born in Houston county, April 10, 1860. Bom 
in the pioneer days of the northwest, his life has been 
spent in the constructive work of the farm builder, 
who lays the foundation for the progress of civiliza- 
tion. From early childhood he was familiar with the 
vicissitudes and dangers of frontier life. In Jackson 
county, in 1862, the year of the Indian outbreak, the 
Torgeson home was under the fire of the warring 
bands for a whole day but owing to its advantageous 
location, the defendants were able to withstand the 
attacks. But many of the neighbors were killed and 
all the stock destroyed and although the government 
troops soon quelled the uprising, the Torgeson fam- 
ily left the scene of the massacre and returned east, 
to Fillmore county. After several years there, they 
again ventured into the more unsettled regions and 
in 1868 took a homestead claim in Ottertail county, 
near Dalton, and about eleven miles southeast of Fer- 
gus Falls. Martin Torgeson was reared on this farm 
and made his home with his father until 1883 when 



he went to Polk county and located on a claim in 
sections twelve and thirteen in Brandsvold township. 
He had been married three years previous, to Ingre 
Sonmor, who like her husband, had been reared in 
the hardy school of frontier life. She was born in 
Norway in 1858 and liad come to the United States 
with her parents, in early childhood. After spending 
some time in Wisconsin and Iowa, they located on 
land in Ottertail county, Minnesota, in 1868, being 
among the first settlers of that county. Ingre Tor- 
geson accompanied her husband to the new home in 
the wilderness, cheerfully accepting her share of the 
hard labor and privations and during the first years 
when it was necessary for Mr. Torgeson to seek work 
in other places and to be absent for months, she 
bravely endured the loneliness and the moments of 
terror when even the solitude of nature .seemed 
filled with threatening dangers. ]Mai*tin Torgeson 
embarked upon liis farming enterprise without stock 
or team and could give little time at first to the devel- 
opment of his land, having to earn his support at 
whatever einplojmient he could find but unceasing 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



223 



industry steadily advanced liis success and in 1886, 
he became the owTier of an ox team and wagon, and 
in the same year began his operations as a thresher- 
inan. He had threshed his first crops with a flail 
and was one of the first to engage in the thrashing 
business in the county. The first outfit which he 
operated was equipped with the first self traction 
engine used in the Thirteen Towns. In the fall of 
1886, he covered seven townships, the season's crop 
being small and all the neighbors cooperating in their 
common interests, the crews eating and sleeping in 
one small cabin. On Christmas eve of that year, they 
were still threshing in Columbia township. For 
thirty-five years Mr. Torgeson was employed in this 
business, becoming widely known throughout the 
county and enjoying an extensive patronage and has 
handled millions of bushels of Polk county grain. 
He has been in charge of many different outfits, seven 
of which he has owTied and has employed crews of 
twenty-five men. For three seasons he operated an 
outfit in Dakota. Aside from the requirements of this 
eminently successful enterprise, Mr. Torgeson has 
devoted every interest to his farms. He lived on his 
homestead for many years, putting some sixty acres 



under cultivation and in 1905, sold the property for 
thirty-three hundred dollars. He then bought the 
land in section three of Brandsvold township, six and 
a half miles north of Fosston, which is his present 
home, paying two thousand dollars for the land, with 
no buildings. But a small tract had been cleared and 
he again engaged upon the arduous task of develop- 
ing a productive farm. He now has seventy acres 
in cultivation and has erected good modern buildings 
and beside his general farming activities, is inter- 
ested in dairy farming. His political affiliations are 
with the Republican party and he is a member of 
Brandsvold United Lutheran church. Mr. Torge- 
son and his wife have a family of nine children, the 
four younger children, Nina Pauline, Theodore, Hilda, 
Amanda, Ruth and Reuben William, still living with 
their parents. A daughter and two sons reside in 
Canada, Josephine Amelia, the wife of C. A. Larson 
of Saskatchewan, and Carl Oscar and Noble Peter 
who are farmers in the same region. Otto Torgeson 
is employed with a lumbering and railroad contract- 
ing firm and Melvin I. Torgeson is engaged in farm- 
ing in North Dakota. 



OLE M^aCLEJORD. 



Ole Myklejord, a farmer of Brandsvold township, 
was born in Norway, January 19, 1864, the son of 
Ole Tollefson, his baptismal name being Ole Olson, 
but preferring a less common surname, he later 
changed it to Myklejord. He came to this country' 
when he was seventeen years of age and located in 
Becker county, Minnesota, where he remained for a 
year and then came to Polk county, taking a pre- 
emption claim on section ten of Brandsvold township 
in 1884 and on coming of age made it a homestead 
claim. In the same year, his father, Ole Tollefson, 
joined him taking land in section fifteen of the same 
township. He died here in 1890 and was survived 
by his wife, his son, Ole Myklejord, and three daugh- 
ters. The former lived for several years after his 



death and made her home for some time with Mr. 
Myklejord. One daughter is a resident of Polk 
county, the wife of John Lee of Brandsvold township. 
Mr. Myklejord experienced all the privations and 
strenuous labor of the pioneer farmer who starts 
with no capital but a tract of wild land. He built a 
one-room log house which was his home for eight 
years and gave what time he could to the clearing 
of his land, working at farm labor and in the Dakota 
harvest fields and after a time bought a yoke of oxen 
which he broke for driving, himself. In 1899 he was 
married at Mcintosh to Anna Norgaard, who was 
born in Norway and had come to this country in 
1885, just a few years later than Mr. Myklejord. She 
was ten years of age when she accompanied her 



224 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



mother and two brothers from Norwaj' to Polk county 
where they bought the old Mcintosh farm, one and 
a half miles east of the present village of Mcintosh. 
This place continued to be the home of the mother 
until six years ago when she removed to Brandsvold 
township where she lives with her younger son, Sam 
Norgaard. Ben Norgaard is a farmer in Eden town- 
ship where he took a homestead claim. Jlr. Mykle- 
jord has developed his land into a prosperous and 
productive farm of two hundred acres. He has re- 
claimed much low land with ditching and a county 
ditch now crosses his place. He has eighty acres 
under cultivation, devoted niainlv to wheat. He also 



engages in dairy farming, selling cream to the co- 
operative creamei-y at Fosston. A comfortable mod- 
ern home has been erected and the farm is pleasantly 
situated six miles and a half north of Fosston. Aside 
from his farming enterprises ^Ir. ]\lyklejord is as- 
sociated with the business interests of the community 
as a stockholder in the Cooperative Creamerj' com- 
pany and the Cooperative Elevator company at Foss- 
ton. ilr. Myklejord and his wife have five children, 
]\Iary, Oscar, Albert, Selmer, and Harold. He and 
his family aie members of the Froen Synod Lutheran 
church of Brandsvold township. 



JOHN A. WIDNESS. 



John A. "Widness, a successful farmer of Brands- 
void township, is a native of Norway, born March 2, 
1865. His father, Arne J. Widness, has been a well 
known citizen and farmer in that township since 1884 
when he located on the northwest quarter of section 
fourteen. He was born in Norway on September 
11, 1835, and came to this country and to Rice county, 
Minnesota in 1880. He engaged in farming and spent 
the next few years here and in Goodhue and Otter- 
tail counties. In 1884 he removed to Polk county 
and bought out the claim rights of a homesteader in 
Brandsvold township, acquiring the possession of a 
shanty, a few acres of cleared laud with the rest of the 
tract covered with brush and timber. The hard work 
and able efforts of the next twelve years were attested 
to by the rapid development of the property and the 
success of all his enterprises. One hundred and 
twenty acres of the land were cleared and put under 
cultivation and a new house and buildings erected. 
A county ditch which affords fine drainage for several 
farms was started by him and built across his farm 
in addition to the private ditches w-hich he installed ; 
the construction of the county ditch costing him 
$1,400. His sons, Hans C. Widness and John A. Wid- 
ness, had taken claims and had joined their land and 
farming interests with his, making a farm of four 



hundred and forty acres, and were associated with 
him in the work of developing and improving the 
land. He also bought one hundred and sixty acres, 
located one-half mile from the homestead, and devoted 
his attention to the raising of grain on the two farms 
until 1896, when he retired. Mr. Widness has never 
acquired the use of the language of his adopted 
couutiy but has always been interested in the welfare 
and progi-ess of the community and gave active assist- 
ance in the building of the Brandsvold United Luth- 
eran church, of which aU his family are members. 
His wife, Maren AVidness, died in 1910, a faithful 
companion during the fifty-two years of the trials 
and successes of their career. They had three sons, 
Andrew, who is the proprietor of a hotel in Seattle, 
Washington ; Hans C, who lived on the Brandsvold 
township farm for some time and is now engaged in 
the mercantile business at Windsor, Minnesota ; and 
John A. John A. Widness was fifteen years of age 
when the family removed to this country and he grew 
to manhood on the Polk county homestead. He took 
charge of the one hundred and sixty acres near the 
original tract which his father had purchased and 
remained here for eleven years, clearing the land and 
erecting farm buildings, and when his father retired, 
in 1896, he returaed to the home farm for a short 




.lOIIX i;. MiKl.WON 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



225 



time. But in the following year he withdrew from 
agricultural pursuits aud located at Shevlin, Minne- 
sota, which was then enjoying a prospei'ous lumber 
trade. He engaged in the hardware business aud 
conducted a successful trade for five years, when the 
failure of a large lumber company brought disaster 
to the smaller business enterprises of the place. After 
spending a part of the year 1902 visiting in his old 
home in Norway, he returned to Minnesota and settled 
in Warroad, where misfortune again overtook him, 
when, after a year and a half residence, the town was 
destroyed by fire and his home and mercantile stock 
wiped out, he and his family barely escaping with 
their lives. However, his property was insured and 
he did not suffer a total loss. For some years he 
lived in eastern Washington, where he was employed 
in a hardware store and later removed to Seattle and 
invested in property in that city which he still owns. 



The news of his mother's failing health brought him 
back to Minnesota. She died in the spring following 
his return and since that time he has operated the 
homestead in Brandsvold township which had been 
rented for a number of years. He has added eighty 
acres to the estate aud has remodeled the old home 
and lias all of the land under cultivation. He is 
particularly interested in dairy farming and keeps a 
large herd of cows, selling his produce to the co- 
operative creamery at Fosston, five miles distant. Mr. 
Widness was married in Polk county in 1889, to 
Anna Hogan, a native of Norway, from whom he was 
later divorced. They had two daughters, Minnie and 
Letta. During his visit to Norway in 1902, he was 
married to Christopha Torgesou and four children 
have been born to this union, Marvin, Arnel, Iva and 
Joyce. 



JOHN R. McKINNON. 



John R. McKinnon, retired capitalist and ex-mayor 
of Crookston, has been notably identified with the 
business activities of that city for many years. He 
is a native of Scotland, born at Inverness, on Septem- 
ber 13, 1850, and was brought to America when four 
years of age, by his parents, Archibald and Jeanette 
(GiUis) McKinnon, who came to Canada in 185J: and 
located in Glengarry county, Ontario, near Montreal. 
The father engaged in farming there until his death 
in 1884, having survived his wife twenty-one years. 
They reared a family of seven sons and two daugh- 
ters and five of the sons became residents of Crooks- 
ton. John R. McKinnon remained in his Canadian 
home, attending the public schools, until his seven- 
teenth year, when he began to work in the lumber 
region of Michigan. He remained in that state for 
thirteen years, employed as a lumberman, and also 
mastered the trade of carriage maker, and in 1880 
came to Crookston and joined his brothers, Alexan- 
der McKinnon and A. J. McKinnon, in the manufac- 
ture of wagons and carriages. The firm of McKinnon 



Brothers was one of the pioneer industries of the 
county and conducted a thriving business as manu- 
facturers and dealers in farm implements. In 1897 
the company was disorganized and Mr. John R. 
McKinnon gave his attention to other enterprises 
until 1905, when he retired from active business pur- 
suits. His has been an eminently successful career, 
which has included many able sendees in the promo- 
tion of the best interests of the community, and he 
has been actively associated with the development of 
Crookston since the first years of its growth. In 
1887 he erected the McKinnon block, the first good 
business building to mark its progress from village 
to city. As a director of the First National bank, he 
has been interested in the direction of its affairs for 
thirty years. In 1895 Mr. McKinnon was elected 
mayor and capably discharged the executive duties 
during one term. He is a member of the Democratic 
party. His marriage to Henrietta McDonald, a na- 
tive of Ontario, Canada, took place in Michigan, July 
22, 1874. Her death occurred in March, 1909. Eight 



226 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



children were boru to this union, two of whom are father. Mr. McKionon is a member of the Catholic 
now living, Margaret, the wife of Mr. George W. church. 
Capser, and Henrietta, who makes her home with her 



JOHN A. HAGEN. 



John A. Ilageu, a pioneer farmer of Queen town- 
ship, is a native of Norway, born February 8, 1855. 
He was married there to Olava Guiiderson, and in 
1883, in company with her father, Ole Gundersou, 
came to the United States, locating in Wisconsin. In 
the following year he was joined by his wife and 
three sons, August, Olaf and Julius. In the spring 
of 1886 John A. Hagen removed with his family to 
Polk county, taking as a homestead a quarter section 
which lay in both Queen and Eden townships and has 
continued to devote his interests to this farm. Since 
1896 Ole Gunderson has also been a resident of the 
county and a member of the Hagen household, and has 
reached the advanced age of eighty-six years. Mr. 
Hagen contended with the usual privations and hard 
work of the pioneer farmer, with no resources but 
native ingenuity and untilled acres. It had taken 
his small capital to make the payment on his land and 
the first log shanty which he built was destroyed by 
fire before ever occupied by his family. The second 
house was also constructed of logs and was used as the 
residence until 1907 when the present farm home was 
erected. Mr. Hagen later bought an additional forty 
acres and now has two hundred acres, one hundred 
and forty of which he has put under cultivation. Al- 
though the land was not naturally adapted for most 



successful farming purposes, either by location or 
soil conditions, by intelligent study and able manage- 
ment, he has through his own efforts developed it into 
one of the most productive farms in that region. With 
an extensive drainage system he reclaimed some fifty 
acres of marsh for profitable use and has steadily 
advanced the efifieiency of his operations. He has 
erected a good barn, which stands in Eden township, 
but his home has always been on the Queen township 
land. He is a shareholder in the cooperative creamerj^ 
at Olga and a member of the Salem or Norwegian 
Synod Lutheran church at the same place, and during 
the many years of the faithful service of his member- 
ship has been actively identified with its interests. 
His wife died May 9, 1915, at the age of sixty-two 
years. Five children were born to Mr. Hagen and 
his wife after they came to this country: Helena, 
who married Andrew Alrick of Clearbrook, Minne- 
sota ; Ingmar, a farmer near Williston, North Dakota ; 
and Orgine Josephine, Evan and Otto, who live with 
their father. Of the older sons, August Hagen is a 
well known farmer of Eden township, a sketch of 
whose life is included in this work; Olaf Hagen is 
engaged in the restaurant business in Crookston, and 
Julius Hagen resides in Clearwater county, where 
he is a farmer. 



AUGUST HAGAN. 



August Hagan, a prominent farmer and influential 
citizen of Eden township, has been a resident of the 
county since 1886, when a lad of eleven years, he 
accompanied his father to the old homestead in Queen 
township. August Hagan was bom in Norway, July 
28, 1875, the son of J. A. and Olava (Gunderson) 
Hagan, and came to the United States with the family 



in 1884. He grew to manhood on the Polk county 
farm, assisting in its management, and was associated 
with his father's successful farming operations until 
1908, dividing his work and interests between the 
home place and his own farm, which he had bought 
in 1898. He paid $950 for this land, which was in 
Eden township, and had been the homestead claim of 



COMPENDIUM OP HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



227 



Tilda Ostliug. No buildings had beeu erected on the 
tract and but thirty-five acres cleared, and -there were 
a number of acres of useless slough land. With an 
adequate drainage system he has converted this into 
fine meadow land. Mr. Hagan has devoted his entire 
attention to the operation of this farm since his re- 
moval here in 1908 and with creditable industry and 
ability has made rapid progress in developing its 
resources, having put some ninety-five acres under 
cultivation, and equipped it with modern buildings 
and impi'ovements. He engages in general farming 
pursuits and dairy farming. Aside from his private 
enterprises Mr. Hagan is prominently identified with 
the advancement and success of important business 
activities in the county. He was one of the promotors 
of the organization of the cooperative creamery at 
Olga and has capably directed its aiifairs as president 
and treasurer of the company since its incorporation 



in 1906 with sixty-two stockholders. This enterprise 
has met with steady and marked prosperity and dur- 
ing the nine years of its operations has distributed a 
quarter of a million of dollars among its one hundred 
and twenty patrons. Mr. Hagan is also a stockholder 
in the Farmers Elevator Company at Posston; also 
president of Cooperative Live Stock Shipping Asso- 
ciation. He is a member of the Democratic party and 
is actively interested in all questions of public moment 
and is giving his efficient services in the ofiSce of 
township supervisor. One of the original members of 
the Salem Lutheran church at Olga, he has continued 
to give it his faithful and genei-ous support. Mr. 
Hagan was married, June 30, 1910, to Mabel Clara 
Martinson. She was born in Clay county, Minnesota, 
in 1888 and is the daughter of Carl Martinson, a 
farmer of Eden township. 



ANDREW M. EATON. 



Andrew M. Eaton, a well known farmer of 
Brandsvold township and one of the first settlers 
in the Thirteen Towns, is a native of Switzerland, 
bom May 6, 1852. He was brought to this country 
when two years old by his parents, who made their 
first home in Chicago and later removed to Milwaukee 
and then to Iowa. In 1862, just before the Indian 
outbreak of that year, they settled on land in Stearns 
county, between St. Cloud and St. Joseph. When 
he was seventeen years of age Andrew Eaton left his 
father's farm and went to Ottertail county, where 
he took squatter's rights to a tract of land but did 
not file on it. Some years later he went to Becker 
county, and was living in Frazee in 1878 when he 
was visited by John A. Flesch and Herman Eikens, 
who were enroute from their home in Douglas county 
to a new location in the section known as the Thirteen 
Towns, which had just been opened for settlement. 
A month later Mr. Eaton joined them in their new 
home, taking a claim on section nineteen of what is 
now Rosebud township. Of the eight men who were 



the first settlers of this district, four still reside here, 
Herman Eikens, John Flesch, Andrew Eaton and 
George Herschberger. Edward Lebree removed to 
Canada, W. J. HiUegoss now lives in Tacoma, Wash- 
ington, and Jerome Thayer and Matt Portz are dead. 
Several others who took claims about this time gave 
up their land when the region was withdrawn from 
the market by the government. During the first years 
these pioneers struggled with all the privations and 
hard labor of frontier life. For a time they lived in 
the open, using their wagons for shelter, and a clock 
belonging to Mr. Flesch and fastened to a balm of 
Gilead tree, marked the passing of the days. Mr. 
Eaton hired a few acres of prairie land broken for 
cultivation and in the spring of 1879 brought his 
family to the wilderness home. The first house was 
built of oak logs, with the floor of hewed poplar, and 
roofed with elm bark. In 1883 the land was re- 
opened and rapidly settled and a church and school 
established. Before that time a small store, known 
as the Wild Rice trading post, was kept on the Flesch 



228 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



farm by a hall' breed, Mon-do-ba-shika. Trading posts 
were also operated by Mr. Ilillegoss and Mr. Lebree. 
The local tribes of Indians from AVhite Earth and 
Red Lake were frequent and friendly visitors of the 
settlers and never threatened their .safety. Their 
name for Mr. Eaton was Wiud-de-go, signifying in 
their vernacular that his strength demanded their 
respect. ]Mr. Flesch was known as Mo-ko-gee, be- 
cause of his alert manner and the quickness of his 
movenieuls. In 1883 Lewis Foss started a store and 
the postoffice of Fosston on the Flesch homestead, on 
the present site of the home of John Newton, a son- 
in-law of John Flesch. The following year he removed 
to the present location of Fosston, and another store 
was built by Jacob Hansen and the postoffice of Hans- 
ville started. Supplies were hauled from Detroit City, 
and the nearest wheat markets were Beltrami and 
Detroit. During the first years Mr. Eaton cleared 
about fifteen acres of his land and raised some wheat, 
and meanwhile industriously employed every means 
of supporting his family that the frontier country 
afforded. For two years he returned to Becker 
countj' during the harvest season, and in the spring 
and fall he trapped for muskrat, mink and otter 
skins. He also dug snake root, finding a good market 
for it, either dried or green. He often walked to 
Bolieu with his produce and packed the provisions 
home on his back in primitive fashion, and did not 
buy his first yoke of oxen until 1883, when he mort- 
gaged his land to make tlie purchase. His wheat crops 
were thrashed by flailing over poles, laid over a cleared 
space. With ]Mr. Flesch he once thrashed two hundred 
bushel by this laborious method. "When T. B. Walker 
opened his lumber operations on Clearwater river 
Mr. Eaton worked in his employ, driving the teams 
in the winter, and during one summer was carrier 
for the camps, carrying mail and calks for the lum- 
bermen's shoos from Detroit. It took a week's time 
to make the route, traveling all day and camping at 
any place that darkness overtook him, but the friend- 
liness of the natives never failed him, and, although 
a police patrol was not established until later, he was 



never molested. With steady determination and liard 
work Mr. Eaton developed his farm, putting some 
forty acres under cultivation and erecting a comfort- 
able home. The able qualities which brought him 
success in private enterprises prompted his efticicnt 
service and influence in behalf of the public welfare, 
and as a worthy pioneer of Rosebud township he was 
identified w'ith every phase of the history of its found- 
ing and development. He was present at the first 
election in 1883, held in the old house on the Flesch 
farm, which also housed the first school in the town- 
.ship, taught by A. D. Wishard, who later became 
superintendent of the schools at Red Lake Falls. Mr. 
Eaton was a member of the school board for many 
years and served as clerk of tlie school district, and 
for eight years was road supervisor. In political 
matters he maintains independence in his views and 
is allied with no party organization. He is a member 
of the Catholic church and attended the first mass, 
which was held in the Flesch home by Father Lozier 
of White Earth. The church at Hansville was built 
about seventeen years ago, and previous to that time 
occasional services were held in the liomes. In 1897 
Mr. Eaton removed from his homestead to his present 
home on section eleven of Brandsvold township, six 
miles north of Fosston. Here he again undertook the 
work of the farm-builder, much of the land being 
uncultivated and the only buildings a log shanty and 
barn. He has developed a fine farm, with a pleasant 
home and good buildings, and with the exception of 
pasture land has every acre under cultivation. A 
county ditch crosses the place and furnishes good 
drainage. He gives some attention to dairj' farming, 
keeping a herd of twelve cows. He was married in 
1876 at St. Joseph, Becker county, to Mary Brench, 
w-ho was born at St. Joseph in 1858 and is of German 
parentage. They have seven children : Veronica 
Mary, who taught in the Polk county schools for 
several years and married C. S. Richardson of Roseau, 
Minnesota ; Albert Stephen, a farmer near Davidson, 
Minnesota ; Joseph Lewis, residing in Montana ; Gert- 
rude Louisa, living with her brother, Albert Eaton ; 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



229 



Andrew Matthias, who has taken a claim in Montana ; makes her home with her parents, and Christopher 
Ida Agues, a teacher in the schools at Ashley; D., who William, who is in charge of the home farm. 



R. J. MELQUIST. 



R. J. Melquist, a well known farmer of Brands- 
void township, is a native of Minnesota, born in Free- 
born county, June 10, 1872, the son of John and 
Randa (Jacobson) Melquist. John Melquist was 
born in Sweden and was married to Randa Jacob- 
son in Norway, her native land. They came to the 
United States about the time of the close of the Civil 
war and located in Minnesota, in Freeborn county. 
Here his death occurred and she was later married 
to Ole Runhoug and in 1883 the family removed to 
Norman countv and in 1888 came to Polk countv. 



left in his charge. For two years he worked at the 
clearing of his land without the assistance of a team 
and then became the owner of a yoke of oxen which 
he later exchanged for horses. The timber which he 
cut from his land he sold in Fosston and Mcintosh 
as cord wood, receiving from one dollar and a quar- 
ter to three dollars a cord. He has now seventy 
acres under cultivation and engages in the raising 
of grain, wheat being his principal crop. His farm 
is pleasantly situated six miles northwest of Fosston 
and about the same distance from Mcintosh. During 



They bought a claim of Ole Trunson, paying five the years of his residence in this county, Mr. Mel- 



hundred dollars. A log house had been built on the 
place and but three acres of land had been cleared. 
Soon after settling here, the departure of his step- 
father loft the management and development of the 
homestead to Mr. Melquist, then a lad of seventeen 
years. He capably shouldered the responsibility and 
has continued to devote his efforts and interests to 
the farm which with careful management and hard 
work, lie lias built from the primitive timber land 



quist has ever taken a public spirited interest in the 
welfare of the community and has given able serAdce 
as a member of the local school board. He takes 
keen pleasure in hunting and en.joys frequent trips, 
in pursuit of his favorite sport, in the deer country. 
Mr. Melquist has never married and his mother made 
her home with him until her death, April 4, 1912, at 
the age of eighty-six. He is a member of the Synod 
Lutheran church at Fosston. 



C. P. HOLE. 



C. P. Hole, the editor of the Erskine Echo, has l)een 
successfully associated with newspaper interests of 
the county for some twenty-five years. He is a native 
of Norway, born October 2, 1876, the son of B. K. 
and Mathea Hole, and when five years of age accom- 
panied his parents to the United States and to Fargo, 
North Dakota. B. K. Hole was a graduate of Lille 
Hammer, a famous educational institution of Norway, 
and had taught for a number of years in the parochial 
schools of that country. After locating in Fargo he 
became employed in carpenter work, but also taught 
for several months in a school in the vicinity. In 
1883, at the opening of the land of the Thirteen Towns 



for settlement, he took a homestead in King township, 
a few miles south of Mcintosh, and brought his family 
to the new home in the following spring. His activi- 
ties as a pioneer fanner were of short duration, his 
death, from typhoid fever, occurring in the autumn 
of the same year. He was survived by his wife and 
three small children : C. P. Hole, who was then eight 
years of age; P. B. Hole, who is now a resident of 
Mcintosh, at the age of six, and Marie, then in her 
infancy. The latter is the wife of C. II. Hendrickson 
of Moorhead. After two years spent on tlie home- 
stead the mother married Charles Johnson, a settler 
of Knute township, whose farm was three miles east 



230 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



of the present site of Erskiiie. He liad also been 
previously married, his wife having died in their 
pioneer home. The Hole claim was sold and the family 
received a pleasant home with their step-father on 
his homestead. He has now retired from farming 
and with his wife makes his home in Melntosh. C. P. 
Hole was reared on the Knute township farm and 
when fourteen years of age apprenticed himself to 
the printer's trade, entering the office of the 
Mcintosh Tribune in 1890 and continued in the 
employment of the editor, P. P. Bodine, for a time, 
Icannng the rudiments of his trade and then advanced 
to typesetting for Mr. McKenzie of the Crookston 
Times. After completing his apprenticeship he be- 
came the foreman of the Mcintosh Times under C. T. 
Lanman, who was the editor at that time. In 1903 
he made his first independent venture in the publish- 
ing business and established the Mentor Herald, the 
first and ouly newspaper ever published in that 
village. This venture became a successful and pros- 



perous enterpiise and Mr. Hole continued the sheet 
for several months after becoming the editor of the 
Ei-skine Echo and then consolidated the two papers 
and covers the combined circulation with the Echo. 
His plant is fully equipped with a power press and 
type setting machine and is one of the competent and 
popular country printing offices of the county. Mr. 
Hole has devoted every interest of his career to his 
paper and with intelligent appreciation of the respon- 
sibilities of his profession and the power of the press 
in public welfare is ably advancing the best interests 
of the county. He is also identified with public 
activities in an official capacity as recorder of the 
village, a member of the school board and the chief 
of the fire department. His marriage to Edna Wade- 
kamper, of Mentor, occurred May 4, 1905. She is a 
native of Ottertail county and is of German and 
Norwegian parentage. Five children have been born 
to this union, Earl, Ethel, Loren, Ray and Kenneth. 



AV. D. HAMILTON. 



\V. D. Hamilton, a successful merchant of Fisher 
and a member of the firm of Hamilton Brothers, is 
one of three brothers who have been prominently 
associated with the commercial activities of the county. 
They were born at Hibbard, Ontario, and the first 
removal to Polk county was made by Frank Hamilton 
in 1878. In 1880 he was joined by the father, Francis 
Hamilton, who resided at Fisher for two years and 
then removed to Grand Forks county, North Dakota. 
Frank Hamilton engaged in carpenter and contracting 
work for several years, and in 1886 opened a furniture 
store at Fisher, in which prosperous enterprise his 
brothers, W. D. Hamilton and Donald Hamilton, later 
became associated with him. W. D. Hamilton first 
became connected w-ith the business in 1896 as clerk 
and continued in that position for two years and then 
became a partner, and in 1890 Donald Hamilton 
entered the firm. The latter retired from his mer- 
cantile relations in 1905 and has since engaged in 



farming near Fisher. The business met with marked 
success and a rapidly growing trade that early 
warranted the addition of a hardware stock and 
agricultural implements which have been further sup- 
plemented in late years with the harness trade. Frank 
Hamilton remained at the head of the firm and active 
manager of the store until 1898. when he withdrew 
from active cooperation in the business to devote his 
attention to the undertaking profession, locating at 
Grand Forks, North Dakota. After a year there and 
in Fargo, in 1900 he removed to Seattle, and haa since 
engaged in the undertaking biisiness at that place, 
retaining his interest in the store at Fisher, where 
he was succeeded as manager bj- W. D. Hamilton. 
The present store building was erected by Frank 
Hamilton in 1895 and is still his property. The com- 
mercial reputation of the firm has been capably upheld 
by "W. D. Hamilton, and under his direction its 
interests have steadilj^ prospered. From the original 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



231 



iuvestment of $2,000 the capital has increased to 
$20,000, with the annual sales amounting to some 
$30,000. Aside from his business activities Mr. 
Hamilton is interested in fann lauds, both in Polk 
county and in Dakota, one farm of one hundred aud 
sixty acres being near Fisher. The Hamilton brothers 
are all members of the Republican party and are well 
known in lodge cii'cles, where W. D. Hamilton is 
allied with the Elks, being a member of the chapter 
at Crookston, Frank Hamilton with the Masonic order 
and Donald Hamilton with the Elks and the Inde- 
pendent Order of Odd Fellows. W. D. Hamilton was ' 



married at Fisher to Mary Quigley, the daughter of 
Patrick Quigley, a pioneer farmer of Fisher township, 
who stiU resides on his old homestead near the town. 
Mr. Quigley located there in 1871 and recounts many 
interesting experiences of that time, recalling event- 
ful trips for provisions to the trading station kept by 
Bob Ray, at Frog Point across Red river, when the 
skiff used as a ferry ofttimes proved a perilous and 
disastrous conveyance for their goods. Mr. Hamilton 
and his wife have three children, Helen, Douglas and 
Catherine. 



MATT ROSE. 



Matt Rose, a prosperous farmer of Brandsvold 
township, was born in Norway, January 30, 1859, 
the son of Peter and Olena Rose. His parents came 
to the United States when he was ten years old and 
settled in Freeborn county, Minnesota, where they 
bought forty acres of land. In 1875 Peter Rose re- 
moved with his family to Iowa, buying scliool land 
in Winnebago county and engaged in farming there 
for six years, during which time his crops were de- 
stroyed by the devastating chinch bug and his mis- 
fortunes culminated in the loss of all his property 
with the exception of his stock. He then returned 
to Minnesota, living in Faribault county for several 
years. In 1884 the family came to Polk county and 
Matt Rose and his brother, John Rose, bought the 
claim rights for the southeast quarter of section eight 
of Brandsvold township from a homesteader, for one 
hundred and fifty dollars. The parents made their 
home here until their deaths. The mother's death 
occurred in 1888 and the father survived her until 
his eighty-ninth year. The homestead land was un- 
developed and a small log house with a sod roof had 
been erected on it. The brothers shared in the ardu- 
ous labor of clearing the land and after proving up 
on the claim, divided the tract. They had put over 
one hundred acres under cultivation when the death 
of the older brother, John, occurred and since that 



time the farm has been under the management of 
Matt Rose, he having acquired the title to his brother's 
share after the latter 's death. On coming to Polk 
county, he owned a team of horses and was able to 
stock his farm with several head of cattle and during 
the first seasons before the land could be broken, he 
worked at farm labor in the neighborhood. He en- 
dured his share of the misfortunes and adversities 
which visit the pioneer farmer and with unfailing 
industry has won his way to his present prosperous 
position, building up one of the fine farm properties 
of the county. He has erected good buildings and 
in 1910 built the pleasant country home which occu- 
pies a well chosen and sightly location. The place 
is conveniently situated five miles north of Fosston 
and the same distance east of Mcintosh. Several 
small ponds have been drained with ditches and all 
the land has been made productive, with one hundred 
and forty acres under cultivation and the balance 
used for pasturing purposes. Mr. Rose has installed 
a fine water system, using a well fifty-eight feet deep, 
equipped with an engine which supplies the large 
water tanks. He is successfully engaged in stock 
raising, breeding high grade stock, and keeps a herd 
of dairy cattle, selling cream to the creamery at Foss- 
ton. As a citizen, Mr. Rose has given able and effec- 
tive service in the office of township supervisor for 



232 



co:mpendium of history and biography of polk county 



seven j-ears. He is a member of tlie United Lutheran 
ehureh at Fosston, Jlr. Rose was married in Fari- 
liault county, in 1888, to Gertie Giste, who was born 
in Norway in 1862, and seven children have been 



born to this union, Olena, Peter, Minnie, Hilda, Thor- 
wald, Annie and Gina. The sous, Peter Rose and 
Thorwald Rose are now in charge of the Rose farm. 



PALT, J. HUSHAGEN. 



Paul J. Hushagen, a well known farmer and early 
settler of Eden township, was born in Norway, 
August 19, 1864. His mother died in his early child- 
hood and his father, J. P. Hushagen contracted a 
second marriage and in 1876 brought his family to 
the United States, settling in Ottertail county, Min- 
nesota, where he took a claim of one hundred and 
twenty acres and has since devoted his interests to 
this farm which is operated by his son, John J. Hush- 
agen, the father being now in his eightieth year. 
Paul J. Hushagen was reared on the Ottertail home- 
stead, attending the country schools during the few 
months that could be spared from the many duties 
and hard labor on the frontier farm. He continued 
to make his home there, assisting his father until he 
was twenty-four years of age and then embarked upon 
an independent career as a farmer. He came to 
Polk county in 1887 and located on land in Eden 
township, filing his claim in June of the following 
year when the region was opened for settlement. 
The first house was built of logs cut from the land 
with a sod roof but a good wood floor and he entered 
upon the responsibilities of a newl_y established home 
and the laborious task of developing a farm, with a 
capital of three dollars in cash, a yoke of oxen and 
wagon and a meager household equipment. From 
this start, with ambitious and able efforts and hard 
work, he has gained success and Imilt up a fine prop- 
erty with one hundred acres under cultivation. Dur- 
ing the first summer on his claim, he worked in the 
harvest fields in Red river valley and was not able 
to give much time to the clearing of his own tract 
Init industry and thrifty management soon put his 
operations on a profitable basis. He has engaged in 
general farming activities, making wheat his princi- 



pal crop and is interested in dairy farming and the 
raising of thoroughbred stock, having started a herd 
of thoroughbred Guernsey cattle. As a stock farmer, 
he also keeps sheep. The present home was erected 
in 1902 and the place is well equipped with good 
buildings, the large barn having been built in 1914. 
Mr. Hushagen has ever taken a public spirited inter- 
est in matters of public moment and has been actively 
identified with the affairs of the community, capably 
discharging the duties of citizenship in the elections 
of the township and in official capacity, having given 
service as poor master and in charge of road construc- 
tion. He is associated with local business interests 
as a stockholder in the cooperative creamery at Olga, 
the Farmers Elevator and Store companies at Foss- 
ton and the Farmers Elevator company at Trail, on 
tlie Soo railroad. He is prominent in church circles 
as an active supporter of the Zion United Lutheran 
church, in which he has given faithful service as an 
officer for many years and it was largely through his 
influence that the initial etforts were made to effect 
its organization. ^Ir. Hushagen was married in May, 
1888 during the first year of his residence in Eden 
township to Anne Anderson of Ottertail county. 
She is a native of Norway and was brought to Min- 
nesota by her parents in her fourth year. A family 
of four sons and two daughters have been born to 
them, Jorgen ; Joseph ; Anton and August, who now 
live in Alberta, Canada, where they have land in 
Peace river valley; and Inga and Clara, who reside 
with their parents. Jorgen Hushagen was married 
to Petra Flathang, of Hill River townsliip and was 
a student in the agricultural college at Crookston for 
two years. He is now the proprietor of a flour and 
feed store at Trail. Joseph Hushagen is associated 



COiMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



233 



with his fathex' iu his farming interests and is the farm is located on section eighteen of Eden township, 
manager of the home farm. He was married to Caro- twelve miles north of Fosston and four miles from 
line Swenson, of Pelican Rapids. The Hushagen Trail. 



HANS C. SORBY. 



Hans C. Sorby, for many years a prominent citi- 
zen of Hill River township, was one of four brothers 
who were associated in their farming operations in 
that township. He was born in Skane, Norway, May 
11, 1852, and was reared in his native land. With 
his brother, Lewis, he went to sea, as a sailor on 
merchant ships, and it was on one of their voyages 
that Lewis Sorby received an injury, while in the 
port of Quebec, which disabled him for active duty 
for the time and he decided to visit a sister, who was 
then living in Stevens county, Minnesota. In 1881, 
he located in Minnesota and in the following year 
M^as joined by his brothers, Andrew and Christ Sorby. 
Hans Sorby came to Polk county in 1883 with his 
parents and three sistera, Margarita, Sophia and 
Jacobine, Margarita being now the only one living. 
She married Christ Olson, a fanner of Eden town- 
ship. Sophia Sorby was married to B. A. Engebret- 
son, a sketch of whose life is found in this work and 
died at her home in Eden township in 1911 and Jaco- 
bine Sorby became the wife of Lars Rasmusson of 
Stevens county, where her death occurred in 1915. 
The father erected the house which is the present 
farm residence and was associated with his sons in 
the management of the place until his death in 1888. 
His wife sui-vived him a number of years and died 
in 1903. The Sorby brothers continued to be associ- 
!ated in the management of the homestead, which is 
situated eleven miles north of Fosston, and in all 



their business interests, their joint enterprises meet- 
ing with unvaried success and prosperity. They 
made many profitable land investments, adding to 
the original tract and have displayed keen business 
ability in all their operations. Their agricultural in- 
terests have been devoted to general farming and 
they have engaged to some extent in dairy farming 
and are shareholders in the cooperative creamery. 
Hans C. Sorby was ever prominently identified with 
public interests of the county and gave almost con- 
tinual sei'vice in official capacity from the time of the 
first election held in the township when he was made 
supervisor. He was later elected treasurer of the 
township and then returned to the office of township 
supervisor. His able services and unselfish response 
to other demands than those of private interests, to- 
gether with his native geniality won him many warm 
friends throughout the county. He was one of the 
substantial and progressive citizens whose loss is 
deeply regretted by the community in which he lived. 
He died, July 25, 1915, in his sixty-third year, and 
is survived by his wife, Moneta (Paulson) Sorby and 
their five children, Melvin, Christopher, Selmer, 
Ilelga and Alvina. Hans C. Sorby was the only one 
of the brothers who married. In 1914, Andrew 
Sorby and Christ Sorby visited their native land 
and returned to Minnesota well pleased with the farm 
home which they have made for themselres in their 
adopted country. 



WILLIAM E. McKENZIE. 



With a longer record of continuous service in news- 
paper work and a more varied and spectacular experi- 
ence in it than almost any other man now in the 

northern part of this state, or perhaps in the whole 
15 



Northwest, William E. McKenzie, founder and editor 
of the Crookston Daily Times, has had excellent 
preparation for the work in which he is so success- 
fully engaged, and his career in it shows that he had 



234 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



made his traiuiiig tell iu all respects to his advantage 
aud for the benefit of the people for whom he labors. 

Mr. MeKenzie was born in Dunkirk, New York, in 
1863, the son of James and Margaret (Laughlin) 
McKenzie, the former born in Glasgow, Scotland, aud 
the latter a native of Ireland. They were married iu 
this countiy, however, in the state of New York, and 
became the parents of two sons and five daughters, 
but William E. is the only member of the family now 
living in Minnesota. The parents died in Crookston, 
where they located in 1883. The father learned his 
trade as a machinist in his native city and was em- 
ployed on boat construction there and on the Clyde 
until about 1845, when he came to the United States 
and obtained a position as assistant superintendent 
in the Brooks Locomotive Works at Dunkirk, New 
York, where he was employed for over a quarter of 
a century. 

William E. McKenzie obtained his education in 
academic lines in schools in Ontario, where the family 
lived about four years; and iu Buffalo, New York, 
where he was graduated from the high school. He 
then pursued a course of special training at Bryant 
& Stratton's College in that city. He began liis news- 
paper career with Norman E. Mack, whom he helped 
to start the ^Morning Times of Buffalo, with which he 
was connected for a few mouths as reporter and part 
owner. When the Morning Times was discontinued 
and before the Evening Times, which is still in exist- 
ence, was started, Mr. McKenzie came to Crookston. 
This was in the ^\anter of 1881, and after a stay of 
a week or two went to Winnipeg, Manitoba, where 
he finished the winter, returning to Crookston in 
March, 1882. He was at once engaged as foreman 
on the Weekly Chronicle, which position he filled until 
the fall of that year. Then, in company with W. R. 
Dunn, he founded the St. Hilaire Spectator. The 
railroad had not yet reached St. Hilaire and the 
presses and other equipment for the Spectator had 
to be taken to that city from Crookston by ox teams. 
One year later Mr. ]\IcKenzie sold his interest in the 
Spectator to Harry Ives, who until four years ago 
owned and conducted the paper. 



When he left St. Hilaire Mr. JIcKenzie again took 
charge of the Crookston Chronicle, which he published 
for J. G. McGrew until 1885. But in that year he 
joined hands with F. J. Rothpletz iu founding the 
Crookston Weekly Times. Mr. Rolhpletz soon parted 
with his interest in this paper and Mr. McKenzie con- 
tinued to publish it only as a weekly until 1891, when 
the daily edition was started, and this is still in active 
aud increasing circulation. In 1905 a stock company 
was formed to take charge of the two papers, and on 
January 1, 1906, Mr. McKenzie retired from the 
active management of the publications, but retained 
a one-half interest in the business, which he held iu 
that way until the company was reorganized in its 
present form in 1912. When the stock company was 
organized Mr. McKenzie had retained as his own the 
job and book department of the Crookston Times, and 
had carried it on in partnership with E. W. Robbius 
under the name of the McKenzie-Robbins Printing 
company. Mr. Robbins had charge of the business 
while Mr. McKenzie went to Seattle, Wash., and 
founded a wholesale business under the name of the 
McKenzie-Hunt Paper company, and he continued to 
carry on that enterprise until June, 1911, when he 
sold out and after settling up his business affairs 
again returned to Crookston in 1912 and bought the 
interests of Mr. Dotson and others in the Daily Times 
company and consolidated it with the McKenzie-Rob- 
bins Printing company, and since then the two indus- 
tries have been combined under the management of a 
stock company of which Mr. McKenzie is president 
and treasurer and Mr. Robbins is secretary. The 
Daily Times supports the Republican party in its 
political policy. It has a circulation of about 8,000, 
independent of the weekly edition, and is prosperous, 
wielding a strong influence throughout a considerable 
scope of country and standing well in newspaper cir- 
cles in all parts of the Northwest. 

Mr. McKenzie, in addition to his other work in the 
newspaper field, founded the Mcintosh Times at the 
town of Mcintosh, in this county, and the Michigan 
City Times, at Michigan City, North Dakota. In 1893 
Mr. McKenzie bought the Grand Forks Plain Dealer, 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



235 



which was conducted for many years by W. J. ilur- 
phy, now of the Minneapolis Tribune. In conducting 
the Plain Dealer Mr. McKenzie was associated with 
E. C. Carruth, and they were in charge of it until 
1910, when they sold it. He is at present vice presi- 
dent of the Merchants National Bank of Crookston 
and a director of the Crookston Milling company, the 
Crookston Cordage company, and the Northern Town- 
site company, which founded the towns of Strathcoua, 
Middle River and Greenbush in this state. Frater- 
nally he is a member of the Masonic Order, the Order 
of Elks and the Knights of Pythias. In Freemasonry 
he is a Knight Templar and a Noble of the Mystic 



Shrine. While firm in his loyalty to his political 
party he has never sought any of its honors or emolu- 
ments for himself. In 1883 he was united in mar- 
riage with Miss Emma Mason, a native of Wisconsin. 
They have three sons, Norman W., Glenn E. and 
Donald A., all of whom are associated with their 
father in conducting his business. He has won high 
and widespread regard for the success with which he 
has managed his business affairs but his chief title to 
public esteem, aside from his excellence as a citizen, 
is his conspicuous ability as an editorial writer, which 
has fixed his fame at a high mark throughout the 
Northwest. 



EVAN A. ENGEBRETSON. 



Evan A. Engebretson, a well known farmer of the 
county and one of the first settlers of Eden township, 
was born in Norway, November 26, 1868, the son of 
Andrew and Anna Engebretson. He was brought to 
this country by his parents in his early infancy. In 
1869, they came to Goodhue county, Minnesota, later 
removing to Faribault, ^Minnesota, where they lived 
for eight years. In 1878 Andrew Engebretson located 
on frontier land in Ottertail county and the family 
made their home on that fann until 1886. In that 
year they came to Polk county, taking claims in the 
old Indian reservation land which had been opened 
for settlement. They located on land in what is now 
Eden township, this was before a survey of the land 
had been made and Peter Dunrud, Ole Edevold and 
John Erickson were the only other settlers in the 
township. Andrew Engebretson continued to make 
his home on his homestead in section thirty until his 
death in 1897, the farm having since been sold. His 
wife survives him and has lived at Clearbrook, in 
Clearwater county, ]\Iinnesota, during the past ten 
years. E. A. Engebretson and his sister Anna, who 
was married to Peter Dunrud, are the only members 
of the family now residing in the county. The ma- 
ternal grandmother had accompanied them to the new 
home in Eden township and also took a homestead 



claim in section nineteen and adjoining that of her 
son-in-law. Evan Engebretson made his home with 
her in the little log cabin which she had built on the 
tract and which has long since disappeared. On his 
coming of age, she gave him the land, which with 
able effort and industry he has developed into his 
present valuable farm property. Mr. Engebretson 
has given his attention to general farming and keeps 
a herd of dairy cows, selling his dairy produce to 
the cooperative creamei-y at Olga, in which he is in- 
terested as a shareholder. He has met with success 
in all his activities and conducts his agricultural en- 
terprises with the most modern and efficient methods. 
He has converted several acres of marsh into valuable 
fields by building ditches to which a county ditch 
gives outlet. His first home was a log house, in which 
he lived for eighteen years and which still stands on 
the place. He erected the present comfortable coun- 
try home in 1906. Aside from the management of 
his private interests, he has aided in the promotion 
of important business activities and is a stockholder 
in the Farmers Elevator and Cooperative store com- 
panies at Fosston and in the elevator company at 
Trail, located on the Soo railroad and about five miles 
north of his farm which is situated ten and a half 
miles northeast of Fosston. Mr. Engebretson has 



236 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



also given able service in public ofifice and has been 
a member of the township board for many years and 
for twelve years was chairman of the board. He is 
a member of the United Lutheran church. He was 
married to Sophia Sorby, the daughter of a promi. 
nent pioneer familj- of Hill River township and her 
death occurred February 14, 1911. A family of nine 



children was bom to this union, Alma, Laura, Clara, 
who is a student in tlie high school at Fosston, 
Amanda, Dagana, Carl, Ena. Esther and Lloyd. On 
January 10, 1912, Mr. Engebretson was married to 
Otilda Roas of Fargo, North Dakota, who had been 
a life long friend of the mother of his children and 
who has given them loving care. 



HANS L. HANSON. 



Hans L. Hanson, a prominent citizen of Hill River 
township, was born in Mitchell county, Iowa, June 
20, 1862. His parents were natives of Norway and 
were among the first of their countrymen to emigrate 
to the United States. The father located in Wiscon- 
sin in 1848 and a little later bought government land 
in Mitchell, Iowa, and was prominently identified 
with the early history of that section. The father 
devoted his life to his farming interests and was also 
one of the promoters of the organization and platting 
of the to\ni of St. Ansgar. Hans L. Hanson was 
reared in his native county and made his home there 
until 1884 when he came to Polk county and took 
a homestead claim on the southwest quarter of sec- 
tion twenty-nine of Hill River township. His first 
home was a log shanty in the woods which he later 
replaced with a more comfortable log house. The 
clearing of the land progressed slowly, as he owned 
no team and he had no crop during the first year. 
For several seasons, he worked in the Dakota hai*\'est 
fields and after a few years was able to purchase a 
team and to devote his attention to the development 
of his farm and has put the greater part of the place 
under cultivation, reclaiming some of the low land 
with ditches. He has also invested in land in Dakota 
and spent one year on that farm but with this ex- 
ception has been a continuous resident of the county 
since 1884. He has engaged in diversified farming, 
raising grain and is particularly interested in clover 
culture, for which his land has proven peculiarly 
adapted, although, as is genprallj- the case in this sec- 
tion, his experiments with alfalfa have not been profit- 



able. He keeps a large herd of dairy cows, sending the 
cream to the cooperative creamery at Mcintosh, about 
seven miles from his place. The fann is equipped 
Avith good buildings, tlie large barn having' been 
erected in 1895, and in 1902 lie built the pleasant 
farm home which is delightfully situated on the 
banks of a small lake. The Amundson homestead 
which adjoins his land is now part of his property, 
this having been taken as a preemption claim by his 
wife, Anna (Amundson) Hanson, to whom he was 
married May 10, 1889. She was bom in Dane county, 
Wisconsin, November 15, 1863, the daughter of Lewis 
and Ann Amundson, who had come to the United 
States in 1860. They removed to Minnesota, settling 
in Hill River township. The death of Lewis Aniund- 
son occurred three years later and his daughter Anna 
filed on a claim and proved up on it. She is now the 
only surviving member of the family of Lewis and 
Ann Amundson, all of whom made their homes in 
this county. The eldest son, Lewis, died in October, 
1912, in his fifty-sixth year and is survived by his 
wife wlio lives on their homestead in section nineteen 
of Hill River township. Ole Amundson also was 
a farmer in this vicinity until his death. Betsj- 
Amundson became the wife of Ole Thompson and 
lived during their lifetime on the farm now owned 
by their son, Oscar Thompson. The other daughter, 
Delia Amundson, was married to John D. Kuntson 
of King township, who survives her. Mr. Hanson 
is a member of the Democratic party and has been 
prominently identified with public affairs through- 
out the years of his residence in the county. He has 



compendiu:m op history and biography op polk county 



237 



generously recognized the responsibilities of efScient 
citizenship, having given able service in the various 
offices of the township ; as a member and chairman 
of the township board ; as clerk and as a member of 
the school board. He was one of the promoters and 
organizers of the cooperative creamery at Mcintosh 
with which he continues to be identified as a stock- 
holder. He was active in the organization of the 
Vernes United Lutheran church in Hill River and has 
given further service to its interests as secretary of 



the church. Five children are now living of the fam- 
ily born to Mr. Hanson and his wife, Clarence, who 
is a farmer in Canada ; George, Edward and Mabel, 
students in the high school at Mcintosh ; and Edith, 
who remains at home ; Edward, has taken a course of 
study at Pargo, North Dakota. George Hanson grad- 
uated from the Mcintosh high school in 191i and 
subsequently attended the business college in Pargo. 
He is now employed in a real estate office in North 
Dakota. 



OLE E. SONSTELIE. 



Ole B. Sonstelie, a pioneer farmer and prominent 
citizen of Sletten township, was born in Valders, 
Norway, December 27, 1845, the eldest of the eight 
children born to Elling and Maret (Higden) Son- 
stelie. The Sonstelie family came to the United States 
in 1865 and located in Vernon county, Wisconsin, 
where they remained for about four years. They then 
removed to Chippewa county, Minnesota, and later to 
Dakota where the parents died at an advanced age, 
she in her eighty-fifth year and he living to the age 
of eighty. Ole Sonstelie went to Dakota in 1882 but 
only remained a year, being dissatisfied with condi- 
tions there. On hearing of the springs of "13 
Towns" he came to Sletten township and although 
the land was not yet open for settlement, he located 
on the creek bottom meadows, making a squatters 
claim to the land. About a month later, July 13, 
1883, this district was declared open to settlers and 
on August 8, he filed on his claim. His start in his 
farming enterprise was with thirteen head of stock 
and his first house was a sod-roofed dug out. He 
has interested himself particularly in stock farm- 
ing, his first ventures being with sheep but he novi' 
confines his attention to the raising of blooded short 
horn cattle. He has been eminently successful in the 
stock business, the rich meadows which were his 
choice as a homestead, providing excellent grazing 
land. He now owns three hundred and sixty acres 
of land in Sletten township, all of which he has made 



productive. He has ei-eeted good farm buildings and 
his comfortable home commands a delightful view 
of the valley of Sand Hill river. He also engages in 
the dairy business and was one of the original share- 
holders in the Sletten cooperative creamery company. 
As president of this corporation, his capable services 
have done much to promote its rapid growth and 
success. The company was organized in 1902 with 
thirty-two stockholders. It now cares for the dairy 
produce of forty-five farmers and in the months of 
June and July, 1915, distributed over thirty-eight 
hundred dollars among its patrons. As an early set- 
tler of this region Mr. Sonstelie has been identified 
with every effort to further its welfare and prosper- 
ity, giving his services and support freely to every 
worthy cause and has earned the confidence and 
respect of his fellow citizens, who have invested him 
with various offices of authority in the local govern- 
ment. He was present at the meeting of October 10, 
1883, at the home of Lars Saue, when the township 
was organized and was named Sletten in complimen- 
tary respect for Paul Sletten, at that time the incum- 
bent of the land office at Crookston. He was elected 
chairman of the first township board, the other mem- 
bers being Lars Saue and James Vanvert. Aside 
from his private and public interests, Mr. Sonstelie 
has had charge of several estates to which he has 
been appointed administrator or guardian. Wlien 
the Sletten postoffice was established, he received the 



238 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



appointment of postmaster and served in this capac- 
ity until the innovation of the rural delivery which 
took away from Sletten township its only postoffice. 
Mr. Sonstelie pledges his allegiance to no political 
organization and maintains the independence of 
political opinion. He was married June 28, 1885, to 
Miss Gertrude Sorlien, wlioni he had met in Dakota. 
She, like her husband, is a native of Norway. Her 
parents, J. P. Sorlien and his wife are now living in 



Sletten towTiship. Seven children were born to Mr. 
Sonstelie and his wife, three of whom died. The 
oldest daughter, Ragua, died in her twenty-second 
year and the four surviving children are at home, 
Emil, who was a graduate of Mcintosh high school in 
1912, Maria, Julia and Gerhard. Mr. Sonstelie was 
one of the organizers of the Sand Hill Lutheran 
church and continues in active membership. 



TALLEF B. LAXDESVERK. 



Tallef B. Landesverk, well known farmer and influ- 
ential citizen of Sletten township, was born in Norway. 
IMay 12, 1864. In 1882, Mhen eighteen years of age. 
he came to this country and to Polk county in com- 
pany with his brother, George Landesverk. These 
brothers were among the early settlers of Sletten 
township, who through years of hard labor and 
determined effort laid the foundation for present 
prosperity. Tallef Landesverk and George Landes- 
verk, with Edwin McManus, ai-e the only pioneers 
in tliis region who still reside here. George Landes- 
verk, after eleven .years on his Polk county homestead, 
died in 1894. His wife and three children, who 
survive him, are now living in Canada. On coming 
to Polk county the two brothers worked at farm labor 
and in 1883 filed on homesteads on the second spring 
at the "13 Towns," and Ole Landesverk secured 
another tract of land through the purchase of a 
relinquishment. Tallef B. Landesverk has endured 
all the hardships and trials which beset the settler 
of an undeveloped country and has steadily won his 
Avay to success and prosperity. For seven years he 
was compelled to fight in the courts for the title to his 
claim; during this time decisions were made and 
reversed and possession of the land shifted from one 
contestant to the other. ^Meanwhile all that he earned 
at farm work was required to meet the expenses of 
the law suit. After he succeeded in establishing the 
legality of his title he sold the laud and took another 
claim of timber land in Beltrami countv. In 1803 he 



bought the farm in section three of Sletten township, 
which is his present home. This farm comprises five 
hundred acres and is well equipped with good barns 
and a pleasant country home. He has paid as high 
as twenty-five dollars an acre for undeveloped land 
and floating bog which he has cleared and drained, 
developing valuable farming property. He installed 
a drainage system in one marsh tract of sixty acres, 
the reclamation of which for fine meadow land was 
completed by a county ditch. Mr. Landesverk himself 
took the contract for the con.struction of this ditch, 
which included the straightening of the course of Sand 
Hill river into which it empties. He did this work 
without the assistance of mechanical equipment, with 
hand labor and a scraper operated by a team. He 
engages in the raising of grain and stock and is a 
Iireeder of full blooded cattle. He is interested to 
some extent in the dairy business and is a stockholder 
in Sletten Cooperative Creamerj' company. Starting, 
a lad of eighteen, with no capital but the sturdy (|uali- 
ties wliich make success, he has progi'essed to the 
possession of large land interests, owning nearly one 
thousand acres, six lumdred and ton of which are in 
Polk county, his propertj- outside of Sletten township 
being near Erskine. The other tracts arc in North 
Dakota and Canada, where he and his neighlior, 
Edward McManus, are the owners of a section of 
JIanitoba land, located near Dominion City. Mr. 
Landesverk is a shareholder in the Farmers Elevator 
Company and store company and is on the lioard of 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



239 



directors of the latter enterprise. His political afBlia- 
tions are with the Republican party and he has served 
on the township board and school board for a number 
of years. His marriage to Anna Dalle, who is a native 



of Norway, occurred in 1892. Five children have 
been born to them, three of whom are living, Tilda, 
Emma and Georsre. 



EDWIN McMANUS. 



Edwin McManus, well known grain dealer and the 
superintendent of the elevators of the Superior Ter- 
minal Elevator Company, was born in Canada, Mont- 
calm coimty, Quebec, November 23, 1859. His parents, 
Francis and Jane Louisa (Lindsay) McManus, were 
natives of Canada, he of Irish and English descent 
and she of Scotch parentage. His father was pos- 
sessed of considerable inventive genius but died in his 
thirty-ninth year. As a lad Edwin McManus appren- 
ticed himself to the carpenter trade in Montreal. In 
1877, at the age of seventeen, he came to Fillmore 
county, Minnesota, and in Spring Valley began his 
association Avith the grain trade, a business to which 
he has devoted the greater part of his life with note- 
worthy success and achievement. In 1882 he was 
employed in bridge construction work for the Great 
Northern and Northern Pacific railroad. The follow- 
ing summei-, accompanied by II. S. Leech, he spent 
six weeks in the vicinity of the "13 Towns," which 
was about to be opened for settlement, and later filed 
a preemption claim on the southwest quarter of section 
fifteen of Hill River township. His mother, who had 
joined him in Spring Valley in 1878, now took up the 
homestead in Sletten township which is his present 
home. In the spring of 1884 he erected a house for 
his mother on her claim, hauling the lumber from 
Wild Rice river, where a government sawmill liad 
been installed for the Indians. This first home is 
included in the present fann house. His mother lived 
here for several years and afterwards made her home 
with her son, Edwin, until her last illness, when she 
was removed to the hospital at Superior, Wisconsin, 
where she died May 19, 1913, at the age of seventy- 
nine years. After a year of possession he disposed of 
his claim and in the fall of 1881 again entered the 



grain business as assistant manager of an elevator at 
Nitche, North Dakota, and later was put in charge of 
an elevator at Devils Lake, North Dakota. He was 
also interested in a wood yard at Crookston, where a 
brother, George J. McManus, engaged in the real 
estate and insurance business. In 1888 Edwin 
McManus returned to Polk county as manager for 
the Red River Valley company of their elevator at 
Mcintosh, which was the first to be operated there. 
A year later his efficiency in his chosen field of work 
was recognized by his appointment to the office of 
state weighmaster by Governor Merriman. He served 
in this office for four j'cars, ably discharging his 
duties, which included the management of the weigh- 
ing departments at Duluth and Superior and the 
direction of twenty-five deputies and some thirty 
employees. During this time the department handled 
three hundred million bushels of grain and installed 
numerous weighing equipments in new mills. He 
resigned from this office to accept his present position 
as superintendent of the elevators of the Superior 
Terminal company, grain receivers, storers and ship- 
pers. As superintendent he has entire management 
of the elevators which have a capacity of about five 
million bushels, and of the forty to one hundred men 
employed. Thorough application and steady industry 
as well as native ability have had their share in this 
successful career. Mr. McManus understands eveiy 
phase of the grain business and has superintended the 
construction of two large elevators. His main office 
is at Superior but for the last four years he has made 
his home in Sletten township on his mother's home- 
stead. For many years he had assumed the manage- 
ment of this place and after the death of his mother 
he became its owner, purchasing the shares belonging 






240 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



to other heirs. This farm is conveniently located four 
miles west of Fosston and five miles and a half south 
of Mcintosh, on the northeast quarter of section ten, 
and is one of the attractive properties in this region. 
Sand Hill river crosses tlie land aixl affords natural 
drainage, and in 1913 Mr. McManus completed a flow- 
ing well, the first to be utilized in "13 Towns;'" this 
well is one hundred and seventy-si.x feet deep with 
force enough to carry it to all the farm buildings. 
He engages in general farming, raising grain and 
stock and keeping dairy cows. IMr. McManus recog- 
nizes readily the duties of citizenship and takes an 
active interest in public welfare and progress, giving 
every effort to promote the prosperity of the agricul- 
tural interests of Polk county. He is identified with 
township affairs and has served as township assessor. 



He was married February 3, 1892, to Mary A. Hanson 
of Fillmore county, Minnesota. She is the daughter 
of Charles Hanson, a prominent citizen of that place, 
who was a member of the first constitutional convenliou 
of the state of Minnesota. He died in Duluth. .Mr. 
McManus has one son, Charles Bernard, who was l)orn 
in Superior. May 26, 1894. He was a student in the 
agricultural school at Crookston and is in charge of his 
father's farm. Mr. McManus is a member of the 
Crofton lodge of the I. O. 0. F. at Devils Lake, North 
Dakota, and is a past noble grand of that order. lie 
is a member of the Commercial club of Superior and 
the Pure Seed club at Crookston. ^Ir. McManus and 
his family are members of the Episcopal church of 
the Redeemer at Superior, Wi.seonsin. 



OLE EDEVOLD. 



Ole Edevold, for many years a successful farmer 
and well known citizen of Eden township, was one 
of the pioneer settlers of that section and prominently 
identified with the development of the agricultural 
and social interests of the comunity. He was born in 
Norway, April 23, 1865, the sou of Ole and Maret 
Edevold, who later brought their family to the United 
States and lived for a time at Starbuck, Minnesota. 
They subsequently took land in Dakota, where they 
resided until the region of the Thirteen Towns was 
opened for settlement, when they removed to Polk 
county and located on section thirty-three of Eden 
township, Ole Edevold and his son Ole each taking 
claims on adjoining quarter sections. None of the 
members of the Edevold family are now living; the 
father died in 1899 and his wife survived him but six 
years. Of their children, one son, Martin, died when 
a lad of sixteen years ; Elnie Maria, who was married 
to Ole Tonten, a neighboring homesteader, later re- 
moved to Wisconsin, where her death occurred, and 
the other daughter, Anna Marie, died in Polk county, 
the wife of Hans Eggen, a former resident of Brands- 
void township, now living in Canada. The greater 



part of the laborious task of clearing the half section 
belonging to himself and father was accomplished by 
Ole Edevold, and after the death of his father he 
l>ecame the owner of the entire tract, which he 
developed into one of the finest and most productive 
farm properties in the county. During the first years 
he was compelled to divide his attention between the 
cleai'ing of the land and employment which would 
provide ready funds, and worked in the harvest fields 
and in a sawmill, but with thrift and hard work he 
was soon able to advance his farming enterprises to a 
profitable condition and continued to meet with 
steadily growing prosperity and success in all his 
interests. He engaged in general farming and gave 
particular attention to the dairy business, keeping a 
large herd of dairy cows and breeding thoroughbred 
cattle. Mr. Edevold was a man of broad interests and 
that type of progressive citizen who through years of 
active service in promoting the public welfare leaves 
at the close of his career memorials in the institutions 
of the community. He was the organizer of the co- 
operative creamery at Olga, where his farm was 
located and was the first postmaster of that place. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



241 



with the office in his home until the erection of a store 
a short distance away when it was installed there. 
With his father he was influential in the organization 
of the Synod Lutheran church, one mile north of his 
farm. He also sei'ved in township offices, capably 
discharging the duties of township clerk for many 
years. Mr. Edevold died March 27, 1915, in his 
fiftieth year. He was married to Thea Hoff of Queen 
township, August 15, 1897. She was horn in Otter- 
tail county, the daughter of Thore and Torgen Hoff, 



natives of Norway, who were married in Ottertail. 
Thore Hoff is still living in Queen township, having 
survived his wife many years. Seven children were 
born to Mr. Edevold and his wife: Mabel Estelle, 
Oscar Theodore, Marie Theresa, Martin Hjalmar, 
Arthur Edwin, Elmer Eugene and Lloyd Ernest, all 
of whom make their home on the farm with their 
mother, who since the death of Mr. Edevold has as- 
sumed the management of the estate which she is 
conducting with eminent success. 



OLE HOVEN. 



Ole Hoven, a prominent citizen and successful 
farmer of Eden township, has been a resident of the 
county since 1891, when he located on the land which 
is his present home, ten miles northeast of Fosston. 
He is a native of Norway and came to this country in 
1881, making his first residence in Eau Claire, Wis- 
consin. For a number of years he was employed in 
the lumber woods of that state, working on the river 
drives and also in railroad construction crews, mean- 
while clearing out about twelve acres of timber land 
for cultivation. During this time, by thrifty manage- 
ment, he saved some twelve hundred dollars from his 
earnings and with this capital determined to embark 
upon farming enterprises in Minnesota. After spend- 
ing a year in Norman county he came to Polk county, 
where he tiled on a homestead and boiight a preemp- 
tion claim, paying three hundred dollars for the 
latter. Only two acres had been cleared and a small 
shanty was the only building upon the tract. He at 
once erected a house, which has since been incorpo- 
rated in the present modem home, and engaged upon 
the development of the land. He continued to add 
steadily to his property, building up his prosperous 
estate with careful and judicious investments, putting 
his faith and money in the future agincultural pro- 
ductiveness of the country. His second purchase was 
a quarter section of section twenty-five of Hill River 
township, a little over a mile distant from his home- 
stead. This was all wild land for which he paid the 



same price as for his first land, but was later compelled 
to buy off another claim in order to clear his title. He 
then bought two hundred acres in section thirty-six of 
Hill River township, paying two thousand dollars, 
eighty acres having been cleared. His land interests 
now include five hundred and twenty acres, of which 
over foiir hundred are in cultivation, nearl.y all of 
the one hundred and sixty acres in the home place 
having been developed into fine farm land. Mr. 
Hoven also bought an improved quarter section which 
he gave to his son, Carl Hoven. In all his business 
pursuits and entei*prises Mr. Hoven has met with 
unvaried success. He engages extensively in dairy 
farming and keeps a large herd of cows, selling the 
produce to the cooperative creamery at Olga, and is 
a breeder of short horn cattle. Mr. Hoven is that 
type of successful man whose able and sturdy qualities 
are freely devoted to the best interests of the com- 
munity in which he lives, and he has been largely 
influential in every matter which would promote tlie 
general progress and welfare. He is associated with 
the business activities as stockholder in the cooperative 
creamery at Olga and in the Farmers Elevator com- 
pany at Fosston. He is a member of the Republican 
party and a faithful supporter of the Zion Lutheran 
church. Mr. Hoven was married in Wisconsin to 
Carrie Kolden, who was bom in Norway. They have 
seven children : Elsie, the wife of Albert Bakken, of 
Alberta ; Lena, who married Soren Oistad and lives 



242 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AXD BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



ill the state of "Washington; Albert, associated with Olga ; Carl, \vho makes his home with his parents and 
his father in the management of his farms; Lucy, who is a farmer; and Elmer, 
resides in Jlontana. the wife of James Shandorf; 



JOHN A. NEWTON. 



Joliu A. Newton, of Rosebud township, well known 
farmer and proprietor of Oak Dale farm, was born at 
Newcastle, Penns3'lvania, December 25, 1859. He was 
reared on a farm and educated in the common schools 
of his native state. He taught in the schools for a 
time and then went west and spent the next five years 
traveling through Montana and South Dakota, em- 
ployed during part of the time in teaching. He came 
to Minnesota in 1883 and decided to locate in Polk 
county, taking a claim on the southeast quarter of 
section ten in Sletten township. In the fall of 188-t 
a school supported by subscription was established 
in the i-esideuce of Mr. Peterson, and Mr. Newton 
was appointed the teacher. This was the beginning 
of twelve years of able and eificient service in the 
schools of this vicinity. The settlers, realizing the 
importance of a competent school system, took a deep 
interest in the development of the local educational 
advantages and gave their earnest support to the 
project. The attendance of pioneer schools includes a 
variety of ages among the scholars, and during the 
first term taught by Mr. Newton twenty-eight pupils, 
young and old, but all seriously bent upon securing 
the privilege of the school, were enrolled. Mr. New- 
ton also taught for a number of yeara in Rosebud 
township, in school number III, which had sueeoeded 
the first school in the township, on Mr. Plesch's farm. 
As a teacher and a member of the school board for 
over twenty years he has been notably associated with 
the growth and progressive administration of the 



educational interests of the county. He sent out a 
number of county teachers from his class rooms, one 
of whom, Henry "Welte, is the present county auditor. 
Mr. Newton lived for nine years on his homestead in 
Sletten township, putting all the land under cultiva- 
tion. After selling this place he bought a farm on 
section twenty-one of Rosebud townshij), where he 
remained for eleven years, engaged in developing the 
property, erecting new buildings and improving 
the land. In 1901 he removed to his present home, the 
old Flesch homestead of two hundred acres, five miles 
southwest of Fosston. This place was settled by John 
Flesch, a sketch of whom is found in this work, in 
1878, and was the first claim filed in the Thirteen 
Townis. Mr. Newton has successfully conducted the 
management of his agricultural interests and devotes 
his attention to the raising of grain and hay and dairy 
farming. His farm is equipped witli modern build- 
ings, the pleasant farm home having been erected in 
irtll on the site of the first Fosston postoffice, later 
known as the llansville postoffice. Mr. Newton is a 
stockholder in the Farmers Elevator Company at 
Fosston. His favorite recreation is hunting and he 
enjoys an occa-sional deer hunt as an outing. lie was 
married, in 1894, to IMary Flesch, daughter of John 
A. Flesch, pioneer of Rosebud township. They have 
four daughters, Jessie, Elizabeth, who is a teacher 
and is at present continuing her professional studies 
in a training school. Pearl and Jennie. 



LANE R. FISHBECK. 



Lane R. Fishbeck, well known and successful farmer 
of Sletten township, was bom near Oshkosh, "Wiscon- 
sin, December 16, 1859. His parents were natives of 



that state. The death of his father occurred in his 
eai'ly childhood, and his mother, Betsy (Stokes) Fish- 
beck, married Freeman D. Dowd. "When he was six 




L. \V. LARSEN 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



243 



years of age he accompanied his mother and step- 
father in their removal to Mower county, Minnesota. 
In 1881 Mr. Dowd brought his family to Polk county, 
and two years later took a soldiers' homestead in 
section eighteen, Sletten township. This farm re- 
mained his home until 189G, when he removed to 
Bermidji, settling on land elo.se to the town, which 
has since included part of his property within its 
corporation limits. Since his death there in 1910, in 
his seventy-second year, his wife has made her home 
in Bermidji. Lane R. Fishbeck was the only child 
in his step-father's home and continued to make his 
home there until 1883. In March of this year he was 
married at Jane-sville, Minnesota, to Julia Seha, the 
daughter of a pioneer family of Lcsueur county, 
Minnesota. Two years after his marriage he located 
on a preemption claim of eighty acres in section thir- 
teen of Sletten to\\aiship and soon after he bought an 
adjacent quarter section, with forty acres of improved 
land, the former claim of James E. Vanworth. He 
continued to add to his farm, buying for the most part 
improved land. His present property includes fi\'e 



hundred and twenty acres, all of which is under culti- 
vation with the exception of the pasture land. Very 
little ditching has been necessaiy as he has required 
the low land tracts for pasturage. With capable 
management he has developed a notably productive 
and prosperous farm, raising grain and hay and en- 
gaging extensively in the cultivation of the latter, 
harvesting about two hundred tons annually. In 
1903 he erected the pleasant farm home, which is 
delightfully situated in a grove. He is a shareholder 
in the cooperative creamery. ]\Ir. Fishbeck is a mem- 
ber of the Republican party and voted at the first 
township election in Sletten township. He has a 
family of three sons and four daughters: George, 
Lillian, Mabel, Alfred, Etta, Victor and Winnie, all 
of whom are at home with the exception of the two 
older daughters. Lillian became the wife of Peter 
Klein and lives on an adjoining farm, and Mabel is 
the wife of Wilfred Raboin of Grand Rapids, Minne- 
sota. Mr. Fishbeck 's family are members of the 
Catholic church at Hansville. 



L. W. LARSEN. 



This enterprising gentleman, who is one of the 
pioneer merchants of Crookston and prominent in the 
farm implement trade throughout Polk county, was 
bom on a farm in Wabasha county, Minnesota, Sep- 
tember 11, 1860. He is the son of Jorgen and Annie 
M. (Sobije) Larsen, the former born November 19, 
1826, on the Island of Fyen, in the Great Belt, off the 
coast of Denmark, and the latter also a native of 
Denmark. They came to the United States in 1854, 
and for four years lived in the state of New York. 
In 1858 they located at St. Paul, Minnesota, and the 
next year moved to Wabasha county, where the father 
took up a homestead and improved it into a good 
farm. In 1880 they moved to Wisconsin, and there 
the father died. The mother returned to this state 
and passed the rest of her life in Crookston, where 
she died January 22, 1901. They had three sons and 



four daughters, but only L. W. and two of his sis- 
ters are now residents of Minnesota. 

L. W. Larsen grew to the age of seventeen on his 
father's farm in Wabasha county, and during the 
next three years worked on lumber rafts and steam- 
boats on the Mississippi. Life on the river then was 
M'ild and daring, and the adventurous youth had 
many thrilling experiences. In 1882 he came to Polk 
county and took up his residence on a farm in Ando- 
ver township near Crookston. He followed fanning 
until 1886, when he moved to the city, and during 
the next six years he was employed by several firms 
in the implement trade, serving them as a salesman. 

In 1892 he went into partnership with George F. 
Carpenter in the same line, and until 1907 the busi- 
ness was conducted under the firm name of Larsen & 
Carpenter. In the year last named Mr. Larsen be- 



244 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



fame its sole owner, ami since then he has carried on 
the enterprise himself. He was one of the founders 
of the Polk County State Bank and is now its vice 
president and one of its directors, and he takes a 
serviceable interest in other business institutions in 
the city and county. He also erected the Larscn 
block, one of the best business and office buildings in 
the city. 

In political faith and allegiance Mr. Larsen is a 
Republican and an energetic and effective worker for 
his party. He has served as alderman at large in 
Crookston, and always manifested deep and produc- 
tive interest in the growtli, improvement and pros- 



perity of the city. Fraternally he is a Freemason 
of the Knights Templar rank and also a member of 
the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and takes an active 
part in the work of the fraternity. 

Mr. Larsen was married in 1890 to Mrs. Christine 
(Andereon) Larsen, who was born at Lillehammer, 
Norway, and brought to the United States in her 
childhood. They have four children : Roy W., who is 
assistant cashier of the Polk County State Bank; 
Clarence M., who is a student at the University of 
Minnesota ; Lawrence Howard, who is living at home, 
and Helen M., who is also still a member of the 
parental family circle. 



E. M. HAUGE. 



E. M. Hauge, superintendent of tlie schools at 
Fertile and one of the i)rogressive educators of the 
county, is a native of the state, born at AVinona, Sep- 
tember 9, 1886, the son of Reverend A. Hauge, a 
member of the Lutheran clergy in Minnesota for over 
thirty-three years. E. M. Hauge received his early 
education in the Normal school at Winona and then 
attended a private academy, which is conducted in 
connection with St. Olaf college at Northfield, Minne- 
sota. After completing his preparatoiy studies he 
entered St. Olaf college for a collegiate course and 
graduated from that institution in 1909. In the fall 
of the same year he came to Fertile as principal of 
the high school during the superintendeney of H. R. 
Tonning, and after two years' of effieient service in 
that position was promoted to the office of superin- 
tendent. During the four years under his direction 
the school has made rapid advance in educational 
efficiency and has witnessed notable accomplishment 
in the educational field. Mr. Hauge conducts the 



school along the modern lines of pedagogical theory. 
The mea.sure of his success and the intere.st accorded 
the school bj' the citizens appears in the almost unani- 
mous vote cast on the bond issue for the new school 
building, which is being erected at the cost of some 
forty thousand dollars. The school district includes 
eight sections of Garfield township and has an enroll- 
ment of two hundred and forty-nine pupils, with a 
teaching force of eleven. The high school was estab- 
lished in 1900 and is a commissioned state high school, 
with an attendance of forty-nine and a faculty of five 
instructors. The school graduated eleven students in 
1915, which is the average number of graduates for 
the last four years and has ninety-nine members in 
its alumni association. Reverend A. E. Strom is the 
president of the school board, with J. A. Gregerson, 
clerk, and Norman Hanson, treasurer. The other 
members of the board are A. P. Hanson and Rev. J. 
il. Sundheim. 



O. EDWARD BRATRUD, M. D. 

0. Edward Bratrud, M. D., of Fertile, an able November 7, 1888. He is the son of Hon. 0. C. 
member of the medical profession in the county, is Bratrud, a prominent pioneer citizen of the state, 
a native of Minnesota, born in Fillmore county, who was among the first of his countrj'men to emi- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



245 



grate from Norway to the United States, he having 
settled in Wisconsin in 1848. In 1855 he removed 
to Fillmore county where his death occurred after 
a useful and notable career. He was elected to the 
state legislature, as a Republican, in 1870 and served 
as a member of that body for two years. Dr. Brat- 
rud was reared in Fillmore county and there re- 
ceived his early education. After completing his 
studies in the high school, he entered the state Uni- 
versity and received the degree of Bachelor of Sci- 
ence in 1910. He enrolled as a medical student in 
the same institiition and graduated from the medical 
college in 1913. He continued his professional train- 
ing after graduation and became a resident house 



physician in the city and county hospital at St. Paul, 
serving for a year in this capacity and then secured 
further training and experience in post graduate 
work in the eastern clinics. He began the practice 
of his profession in Fertile in September, 1914, where 
his thorough qualification and efficiency have brought 
him a successful practice. He is a member of the 
District, State and American Associations and a mem- 
ber of a medical fraternity. Dr. Bratrud is an en- 
thusiastic out of door sportsman and is allied with 
the Gun club of Fertile. He was married at Litch- 
field, Minnesota, in August, 1914, to Hazel A. Parsons, 
who was a student of the University of Minnesota. 



GILBERT H. HOYNE. 



Gilbert H. Hoyne, for many years a prominent 
farmer of Polk county, was a native of Minnesota, 
bom in Freeborn county, December 18, 1863. His 
parents, Hoven and Dorothy Hoyne were born in 
Noi-way and came to this county before their mar- 
riage, which occurred in Iowa. They came to Min- 
nesota in 1859 and later spent several years in 
Dakota but preferring the Minnesota region, re- 
turned to Albert Lea and settled in Hayward town- 
ship. Subsequently they removed to a farm six 
miles south of Albert Lea, which became the perma- 
nent home of the family and is still owned by one 
of the sons. The mother of this pioneer home is now 
living at Albert Lea, at the advanced age of eighty- 
three years. Gilbert H. Hoyne grew to manhood on 
the old homestead and received his early education 
in the schools at Albert Lea and then pursued his 
studies at Northfield and in the normal school at 
Mankato. For a short time he engaged in teaching 
and then became apprenticed to the tinners trade 
and was employed in that work until taking charge 
of his father's farm which he operated for three 
years and from that time continued to devote his 
attention to agricultural pursuits. In 1892 he took 
a homestead in Pine county, fifteen miles from Hink- 



ley, Wisconsin, and two years later suffered serious 
losses through the disastrous fire which destroyed 
Hinkley and swept over that section of country. A 
brother of Mrs. Hoyne, K. E. Flaskerude, was then 
living in Polk county and in 1895 Gilbert Hoyne 
brought his family to this county and bought a farm 
in Rosebud township, where he engaged in success- 
ful farming operations for eight years and then re- 
moved to King township and bought a quarter sec- 
tion of land four miles southwest of Mcintosh. No 
buildings had been erected on the tract and the land 
had been but partially improved. Mr. Hoyne gave 
the zealous efforts of the remaining years of his life 
to the development of this place, building up a fine 
farm property through his experienced and able man- 
agement. He engaged in the various farming activ- 
ities, raising grain and stock and was also interested 
in dairying, meeting with success in all his enter- 
prises. His death occurred in his country home, 
April 8, 1909, after several years of failing health, 
and the interment was made in the cemetery of the 
Gosen United Lutheran church in Knute township, 
of which he was a member. Mr. Hoyne was that 
type of man whose influence is felt in every phase 
of community life and his many worthy services 



246 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



live in the memories of his frieuds and associates. 
As a farmer and citizen, his career was marked by 
successful accomplishment and he was honored by 
his fellow citizens with various offices of public trust 
and was particularly active in school and township 
affairs in P^rceborn, Pino and Polk counties. In the 
political arena, he was an enthusiastic and loyal 
supporter of the principles of the Republican party. 
His marriage to Carrie E. Flaskerud, was solemnized 
at Albert Lea, on February 5, 1888. She was born 
in Winneshiek county, Iowa, and is a sister of K. E. 
Flaskerud, a well kno\ni farmer of Brandsvold town- 
ship. Mrs. Hoyne, like her husband, enjoys a wide 
circle of friends and is actively a.ssociated with the 
interests of the locality in which she lives, as a mem- 
ber of tile women's clubs and church organizations 



of Mcintosh. Three children were born to 'Slv. Iloyne 
and his wife, two of whom are now living, Hattie 
Ellen and George Daniel, who assumed the manage- 
ment of the farm after the death of his father and is 
now a student in the Aakens Business college at Grand 
Forks, Nortli Dakota. Hattie E. Hoyne has been a 
teacher in the schools of Polk county for five years 
and has met with eminent success in her profession. 
She was educated in the high school at Mcintosh 
and in the normal school at Moorhead and has also 
been a student at summer schools, the measure of her 
qualification appearing in her attainment of a first 
grade certificate as a teacher. In 1915, the Hoyne 
family removed from the farm in King township to 
Mcintosh, where they have erected a pleasant home. 



A. F. CRONQUIST. 



A. F. Cronquist, of Erskine, an eminent citizen and 
cashier of the Scandinavian State bank, has been a 
resident of Knute township since the early daj's of 
its settlement. He is a native of Sweden, born on 
March 10, 1866, and came to the United States when 
sixteen years of age. He lived for a time at Minne- 
apolis and later at Ellsworth, Wisconsin, where he 
attended the public schools. In 1884 he came to Polk 
county and two years later was joined by his mother, 
who took a homestead in Knute township, two miles 
west of the present site of Erskine. This farm re- 
mained her home until her death in 1913 and then 
became the property of her son. When thej' located 
in the township, it was in the early stages of develop- 
ment, before the establishment of any postofifiee or 
business enterprise in its precincts. Two years later, 
in 1888, the railroad was built through the region and 
George Q. Erskine, who was then president of the 
National bank at Crookston, purchased the homesteads 
of Martin Rathstock, Mr. Mitchell and Daniel Cam- 
eron, a pioneer whose name is given to one of the local 
lakes, and platted the village of Erskine, selling the 
lots privately. Commercial activity immediately 



started ou the town site and one of the first projects 
was a general store opened by Eber Cameron on what 
was formerly the Cameron land and is now the loca- 
tion of the variety store on the corner of Vance avenue 
and the railroad right of way. Other enterprises 
were the hardware store of Gilbertson & Espeseth Co., 
where the first postoffice was kept, with H. T. Gilbert- 
son as postmaster, and the general stores operated by 
0. T. Berge and Tollof Torgeson. A hotel was opened 
by G. T. Torgeson and about a year later a second 
one was erected on the present site of the Merchants 
hotel by 0. T. Rovang. Mr. Cronquist entered upon his 
business career in early manhood and .spent eight 
years in Mcintosh, employed for a time as clerk in the 
J. P. Johnson store and then working for the South- 
mayd & Balstad company. In May, 1899, he re- 
turned to Erskine and embarked upon his successful 
career in the financial world, establishing a private 
bank, with L. Ellington, of Crook.ston, president, and 
Halvor Steenerson, vice-president. A bank had been 
started two years previous by Frank Drew and Ed 
Drew of Mcintosh and had proved an unprofitable 
venture and had been closed, but the Bank of Erskine, 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



247 



organized by Mr. Cronquist, met with steady prosperity! 
and growth and became one of the successful banking 
institutions of the county, ilr. Cronquist was promi- 
nently identified with its management and the busi- 
ness interests of the township as cashier for thirteen 
years. The bank had, at first, occupied the building 
vacated by the first bank and was later removed to a 
building erected by the directors, and had been re- 
organized as a state bank. Under the able manage- 
ment of Mr. Cronquist it had grown, to the time of its 
sale in 1912, to a capital stock of $10,000, with deposits 
of $170,000 and loans aggregating $150,000. During 
the years of his association witli tliat institution his 
able services as cashier had won him a wide popularity 
in the section and soon after selling the bank, upon 
the urgency of his many fonner patrons, in 1913 he 
organized the Scandinavian State bank of Erskine, 
with a capital stock of $15,000 and deposits of $85,000. 
Mr. Cronquist assumed the responsibilities of the posi- 
tion of cashier and has been largely influential in its 
rapid gro\vth and success. Julius Bradley is the 
president of the board of directors, with Carl 
Christianson, vice president; A. F. Cronquist, cashier, 
and I. I. Steenerson, assistant cashier. The other 
stockholders are D. W. Wheeler of St. Paul and Carl 
Paulson. Aside from his financial activities, Mr. 
Cronquist devotes his attention to the direction of his 
farming interests, giving the same keen business 
ability and careful study to all phases of agricultural 
enterprise, that have brought him success in com- 
mercial circles. One of his successful experiments in 
seeking to advance the efficiency of farming methods 
is known as the cheap man's silo, his demonstration 
showing that the stacking of green corn in the .same 
manner as in silo use produces an ensilage equal to 



the more complicated and expensive method. The 
novelty and simpleness of this idea has been given 
much favorable comment in a number of farm pub- 
lications ajid enthusiastically received on its presenta- 
tion at various conventions. He conducts his farming 
operations on the old homestead, to which he has 
added, making an estate of three hundred and eighty 
acres, which he has equipped with good modeim build- 
ings. He engages in diversified farming but gives 
particular attention to the raising of stock and dairy- 
ing and has stocked his place with Red Polled cattle, 
Poland China hogs and Shropshire sheep. He has 
taken an active interest in advancing the prosperity 
of the district through the promotion of dairy and 
drainage projects and has reclaimed some fifty acres 
of valuable meadow land from the small ponds which 
were on his land. He was the first treasurer of the 
local cooperative creamery and continued to serve as 
treasurer and director for twelve years. And for the 
same length of time gave competent service as a mem- 
ber of the board of education and was actively iden- 
tified with the progress of school organization and the 
erection of the present building. He has been twice 
honored by his fellow citizens with the ofBce of mayor, 
his election effecting the elimination of the liquor 
traffic in the village. Mr. Cronquist was married in 
September, 1889, at EllsM^orth, Wisconsin, to Nellie 
Robbins, a native of that state, and four children were 
born to them, one of whom, a daughter, died in her 
infancy. The family are Floyd Clark, Ruth Marie, 
Vera Irene and Bernice Audria. Mr. Cronquist and 
his M'ife are active supporters and faithful members 
of the Rodness Congregational Lutheran church, five 
miles west of Erskine. 



MARTIN G. PETERSON. 

Martin G. Peterson, of Fertile, an eminent citi- family of Nicolet county. His parents were natives 

zen and leading business man of Polk county, has of Norway and crossed the ocean to this country on 

been widely identified with the history of northern the Christina, a sailing vessel, that was thirteen weeks 

Minnesota and is a member of a well knoAvn pioneer in making its destination and it was during this voy- 



248 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



age to the new home, on May 17, 1854, that Martin 
Peterson was born. A brother of his father was then 
living in Dane county, Wisconsin, and Gilbert Peter- 
son set out with his family for that place. At White- 
water they reached the end of the railroad and the 
father continued his journey on foot and on arriving 
in Dane county, dispatched Knute Nelson, now U. S. 
Senator, with a wagon to convey his wife and four 
children. This wagon was of home manufacture, 
the wheels constructed from section of logs and was 
drawn by an ox team. A most interesting account 
of the trip has recently been recorded by Peter Peter- 
son, the eldest son, in his recollections of the early 
days. Peter Peterson and Knute Nelson became close 
companions and schoobnates in Wisconsin, a comrade- 
ship which was further strengthened during the trou- 
blous times of the Civil war, and has continued 
throughout the various experiences of their busy 
careers. Peter G. Peterson was a member of Com- 
pany H of the Fourth Minnesota regiment and active 
service in important campaigns under Grant and 
Sherman. In 1856 the Peterson family removed from 
Wisconsin to Minnesota, making the trip in a lum- 
ber wagon with oxen, there being but one span of 
liorses in the party which included seven families. 
They located in Nicollet county, where Gilbert Peter- 
son took a preemption claim, four miles north of the 
village of Nicollet and here experienced the hard- 
ships and triumphs of pioneer life. In 1862, at the 
time of the Indian outbreak, all the settlers in this 
region were compelled to desert their homes and 
crops and seek refuge at St. Peter. Dui-ing the days 
of organization and agricultural development, Gil- 
bert Peterson took an active part in public affairs 
and served in various offices. His death occurred 
on his eighty-fifth birthday, on the old homestead 
which has since been operated by Peter G. Peterson, 
who like his father, is widely known in the public 
activities of the county and served as township clerk 
for many years. IMartin G. Peterson grew to man- 
hood on the farm and received his early education 
in the countrj' schools and later spent two years 
studying in a school in Illinois and in Luther col- 



lege at Decorah, Iowa. His marriage to Emily Baker, 
who was born in Norway, occurred in his twenty- 
fifth year and for three years they made their home 
on the Peterson farm. In 1882 he came to Polk 
county and took land on the northeast quarter of 
section seventeen of Garden township, eight miles 
east of the present site of Fertile, being one of the 
early homesteaders to settle in that town.ship. For 
the ensuing ten years he gave his attention to the 
l)uilding up of his farm. In 1892, failing health de- 
manded the cessation of such arduous labor and he 
sought recuperation during the winter months in 
Norway, enjoying the mild climate of the west coast. 
He returned to his farm the following summer and 
again resumed his agricultural pursuits until 1898 
when he was summoned to public service by an ap- 
pointment from the county commissioners to the of- 
fice of county treasurer, filling a vacancy occasioned 
by defalcation. Mr. Peterson had previously served 
as township clerk and chairman of the township 
board and this appointment received the hearty ap- 
proval of his fellow citizens as was evidenced in the 
next two elections when he was returned to the office, 
serving for five years as county treasurer, and dis- 
charging the duties of the office in the notably capa- 
ble and conscientious manner which has character- 
ized the many services in public interest of his busy 
career. At the close of his second term, in January, 
1903, he located in Fertile and entered the commer- 
cial circles as a member of the firm of Nesseth & 
Peterson, dealers in flour and feed and agricultural 
implements and engaged in that business for three 
years when he returned to his farm. In 1905 he again 
took up his residence in Fertile a.s the secretai-y of 
the Farmers Mutual Insurance company. This com- 
pan.y, which is one of the most thriving co-operative 
enterprises of the northwest was organized in 1891 
in the interests of the farmers of Polk and Norman 
counties, by O. P. Renne, Hans Nelson, T. H. Nes- 
seth and Martin G. Peterson and has exceeded all 
expectations in its rapid growth and prosperity. It 
has now some nine hundred policy holders, with over 
one and a half millions of insurance in force. The 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



249 



men who have directed its affairs so successfully 
have demanded no large remuneration for their work 
and since the first j'ear, the fees on policies have met 
all the expenses of operation. I\Ir. Peterson has been 
prominently identified with the company since its 
incorporation, when he drafted the constitution and 
by-laws and was made treasurer. He has served 
almost continuously on the board of directors and 
became secretary as the successor of Mr. Nesseth, 
who held that position until his death. Mr. Peter- 
son retains his farm interests and has added forty 
acres to his original quarter section in Garden town- 
ship and is further associated with the business 
activities of the community as a director in the Farm- 
ers State bank at Fertile. His influence has always 
been a potential factor in the broader interests of 
the town and county and his many seiwices have 
been recognized by important appointments of pub- 



lic trust and as a business man, public official or 
private citizen, his career has been mai'ked by hon- 
orable achievement and disinterested enterprise. He 
is now serving, as a director of the Batesta Hospital 
association, having been active in the raising of funds 
for the erection of the new hospital building at 
Crookston, and as vice president of the board of five 
commissioners appointed by the county commission- 
ers to build and operate the Polk and Norman 
counties Tuberculosis sanitarium, which is now under 
construction. He has ever been a leader in the 
political arena and has given particularly forceful 
support to the temperance cause. As vice president 
of the Minnesota Total Abstainers society and aa 
an active worker in the educational movement fos- 
tered by that organization. Mr. Peterson is a mem- 
ber of the United Liitheran church. 



BEN TYNDALL. 



Ben Tyndall, a successful farmer of Rosebud town- 
ship, was born in Wicklow, Ireland, May 8, 1844. At 
twelve years of age he went to sea on a sailing vessel 
that traded between England and Guiana. He re- 
mained for several yeai-s on merchant ships, touching 
on many coasts and sailing around Cape Horn. When 
he was fifteen yeai*s old he enlisted in the British 
navy and for four years served in the Mediterranean 
fleet. The years spent as a sailor were years of wide 
experience; he became familiar with the seaports of 
the world and acquired the hardy training and love 
of adventure which finally sent him into the western 
world to win a home from the wilderness. He came 
to the United States in 1867 and worked in the lumber 
district near Chippewa river in Wisconsin for a year 
and then removed to Dodge Center in Dodge county, 
Minnesota. Here he was in the employ of T. B. 
Walker as a lumberman, working on the spring drives 
on Clearwater river and driving freight from Detroit, 
Minnesota, to the Walker camp. After living for 

three years in Becker county, near Detroit, he located 
16 



in Rosebud township in 1883, filing a claim on a 
quarter section which is in both section ten and section 
three. The land was covered with light timber and 
has proven exceptionally fertile, some fields having 
produced wheat for twenty-seven seasons that have 
been very rarelj^ successive. Mr. Tyndall has developed 
a fine farm with about one hundred and forty acres 
imder cultivation and has erected good buildings. He 
has taken interest in providing his place with pleasant 
groves of box elder and jack pine and the spruce 
trees which date their growth from the 4th of Novem- 
ber on which McKinley was elected president. The 
farm is conveniently located just one mile east of 
Fosston. Mr. Tyndall has engaged in the raising of 
grain and hay and is now devoting some attention to 
the breeding of Guernsey cattle. Mr. Tyndall is not 
affiliated with any political organization and main- 
tains a liberal and intelligent outlook on questions of 
public import and was one of the first voters in Rose- 
bud township. Like most of the men who have spent 
the greater part of their lives in the great out of 



250 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



doors, he is a huuter and fisherman. Mr. Tyudall 
was married at Dodge Center to Susan Digby, who 
is a native of England. Nine children have been bom 
to them, six of whom are now living: Susan, who 
married William Kent, an attorney in Chicago; Ben, 
residing in Montana; John, living in Canada, in 
Saskatchewan; Arthur, who is employed as an elec- 



trician in Alaska by a big power company of British 
Columbia; Martha, the wife of John Dorsey, who is 
the present manager of Mr. Tyndall 's farm ; and 
Fred, who is located in Canada. Throe of the chil- 
dren died at early ages, one in infancy ; a son, Wil- 
liam, at Thief River Falls, in his 30th year, and 
another son at the age of fourteen. 



0. T. NELSON. 



0. T. Nelson, a well known business man of the 
county, has been engaged in the furniture and hard- 
ware business at Gully since 1910. He was born in 
Norway, May 1, 1882, the son of Torger and Mary 
Nelson, and was brought by his parents to this country 
in his early infancy. Torger Nelson came directly 
to Crookston from his native land and in the same 
year, 1882, took a homestead near Woodside, in Polk 
county, and as a worthy pioneer citizen his career has 
been identified with the privations and failures, the 
steady development and ultimate prosperity of the 
frontier country. On the claim in the wilderness he 
sturdily encountered all the hardships of the times, 
with one particularly harrowing experience, when 
his wife was lost for two days in the surrounding 
forests, the sound of his signaling shots finally reach- 
ing her in her wanderings. After about six years 
spent on this tract he removed to Badger township, 
locating again on wild land. In 1892 he sold his farm 
and went to Crookston and invested in the hotel busi- 
ness, and in the following year suffered the total loss 
of his property by a fire, from which his young son, 
O. T. Nelson, narrowly escaped, being rescued by a 
fireman. For a time this disaster brought the family 
to most straightened circumstances, from which enter- 
prise and ambitious efforts .soon rescued them. They 
made their home in a shed which stood at the rear 
of the former hotel structure, and Torger Nelson 
secured work in a sawmiU, and his wife assisted in the 
rebuilding of their resources. With thrifty manage- 
ment in a few years he accumulated some capital, 
and, in partnerehip with Severt Henson, started a 



general store at Erskine, in Polk county, meanwliile 
continuing to work as time keeper in the sawmill at 
Crookston, his son, 0. T. Nelson, looking after his 
mercantile interests in Erskine. This enterprise 
proved eminently successful and enjoyed an extensive 
patronage, dra,wing trade from fifty miles or more. 
Torger Nelson later removed to Erskine, and through 
his management of the business became widely known 
throughout the county. He remained in charge of 
the store for fifteen years and then retired froju 
commercial activities, but continues to reside in 
Erskine, where he has been associated with public 
affairs as township assessor and member of the school 
board. Of his five sons four are now living and two 
reside in Erskine; Anton, who was employed for a 
time in a sawmill and is now rural mail carrier, and 
Theodore, who is cashier of the First State bank at 
Ei'skine. Oscar Nelson, the youngest son, has held 
the position of teller in the Northern National bank 
at Bermidji for several years. The death of William 
Nelson occurred in his twenty-second year, September 
10, 1911, at Gull}'. He was a graduate of the Univer- 
sity of North Dakota and was a student in the second 
year of the medical course at the state university. 
0. T. Nelson attended the high school at Erskine^ 
meanwhile giving his attention to his father's business 
interests in that place and spending his vacations at 
work in the store. He then became tower operator 
on the Soo railroad and after four years in this 
position made his first independent venture in the 
business world, opening a store at Pierz, Minnesota, 
in Morrison county, in 1907. This was one of the 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



251 



older towns of the region but had just been reached 
by a railroad and he operated the only exclusive 
hardware business in the town for three years. When 
the Soo road was built to Gully, in 1910, he estab- 
lished his present hardware and furniture business, 
being the first merchant to sell goods on the new 
townsite. He was also the first to bring lumber to 
the site and in September of that year began the 
erection of a warehouse in a wheat field on one of the 
streets of the future village. All the previous build- 
ing at Gully had been about a half mile distant near 
the location of the Ohm mills. His first business 
operations were with a small stock and meager equip- 
ment, it being late in November before he could occupy 
his atore building. The I. 0. Manger Lumber com- 
pany had brought lumber to the place and several 
other merchants were engaged in building. Mr. 
Nelson has built up a prosperous and steadily growing 



trade and also conducts an undertaking business. In 
his hardware department he employs a competent 
tinner and handles contracts for roofing and cornice 
work, beside general repair work. As a successful 
business man and respected citizen Mr. Nelson is and 
lias always been associated with the promotion of the 
best interests of the county and is well known as one 
of the j'ounger and a1)le members in business circles. 
He is a member of the school board and secretary of 
the Commercial club of Gully. Mr. Nelson was mar- 
ried January 30, 1907, to Margaret Brogan, who was 
bom at EIroy, Wisconsin. Her parents died in her 
infancy and she was reared by a sister, receiving her 
education in the high school at Ontonagon, Michigan. 
She entered the teaching profession and pursued a 
successful career as a teacher for some time and was 
employed in the schools of Clearwater county, 
Minnesota. 



TOM 0. SOLBERG. 



Tom 0. Solberg, a prominent fanner of Rosebud 
township, has been a resident of Polk county since 
1885. In 1884 he filed on a homestead claim and on 
July 4th of the following year he moved on this land. 
Since then he has added to the original tract, buying 
the adjoining uncultivated land at a maximum price 
of six dollars and a half an acre, and eighty acres of 
which he has sold for twenty dollars an acre. His 
present valuable farm property of three hundred and 
eighty-five acres attests to the thrifty management and 
unfailing industry of Mr. Solberg, who possesses all 
the sturdy charactei-istics of the men who wrestle with 
the wilderness and claim it for civilization. His has 
been the laborious task of clearing this tract of land 



and developing it into productive fields. He has en- 
gaged principally in the raising of grain and cattle, 
breeding blooded stock. He keeps a number of dairy 
cows and finds this a lucrative enterprise. Some low 
land has been reclaimed by ditching and the farm is 
equipped with good buildings, the pleasant home being 
rendered the more attractive by its well chosen situa- 
tion. Mr. Solberg was married at Fergus Falls, 
Minnesota, to Julia Nelson, and they have eight 
children : Fred and Arthur, who are farmers near 
Max, North Dakota ; Tillie, the wife of Martin Hanson 
of Stanley, North Dakota; Bertha A., who is a teacher 
in the Polk county schools, and Elmer, Clifford, Mabel 
and Walter, who remain in the home. 



OSCAR THOR. 



Oscar Thor, of Gully, secretary and treasurer of the was employed in that work in Sweden until 1900, 

Melbo Mercantile company, was born in Sweden, May when he came to Stillwater, Minnesota, where an 

4, 1882. He was reared in his native land and ap- uncle, J. F. Thoreen, a railroad contractor, resided, 

prenticed himself to the trade of butter-making and He resided at that place for six months and then 



252 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



removed to Polk county and continued to be employed 
as a butter-maker in Polk county, Todd county and 
other localities for some years. Wlicn the Soo rail- 
road was built through Gully, J. F. Thoreen handled 
the contract for the construction of several miles of 
the road bed and became interested with H. H. Melbo, 
a pioneer merchant of that region, in the organization 
of the Melbo Mercantile company and persuaded Mr. 
Thor to become a stockholder and to become active 
in its management as the representative of both their 
interests. The company was incorporated in 1910, 
and in the same year Mr. Thor located in Gully and 
has since been identified with the extensive and pros- 



perous operations of the corporation as secretary and 
treasurer. Though .still in the inception of his busi- 
ness career, he has proven himself eminently fitted for 
successful accomplishment as an enterprising and 
progressive merchant. He has been associated with 
the growth and general welfare of the town in which 
he lives through able and public spirited co-operation 
in community interests, and as clerk of the school 
board was actively identified with the erection of 
the new school house at Gully. Mr. Thor was married 
February, 1906, to Nellie 0. Ramstad of Todd county, 
Minnesota, and they have one son, Clifford Thor. 



BERT D. KECK. 



This gentleman, who is the leading architect in 
Polk county and resides in Crookston, has erected 
many monuments to his .skill and excellent taste and 
judgment in the Northwest and is still carrying on 
an extensive business in his chosen profession. He 
is a native of Louisa county, Iowa, where his life 
began in 1876. In the year 1877 his parents moved 
to Mercer county, Illinois. His parents, Frederick 
and Susana (Harvey) Keck, were pioneers in Iowa, 
the father having driven from Ohio to that state by 
ox team about the year 1850 and entered a homestead 
in the wilderness. He was born in Germany and came 
to the United States with his pai'ents in 1838, his 
father having been the progenitor of the family in 
this country. The mother of Bert D. Keck was born 
of English parentage. She and her hu.sband died in 
Illinois, where they lived for many years. 

Bert D. Keck grew to manhood in Mercer county, 
Illinois, where he obtained his elementary education 
in the common schools and higli school at Aledo, Illi- 
nois. He afterward pursued a course of special and 
more advanced instruction under the tutorage of 
prominent architects of the country and by his 
studious efforts completing his preparation for his 
life work through post gi'aduate courses in spe- 
cial lines of architectural teaching. In 1902 he 



became a resident of Crookston, where he at once 
opened an oflSce and l>egan the active practice of his 
profession. To this he has ever since been sedulou,sly 
devoted, doing his work in a way to win general 
commendation and getting plenty of it to keep him 
steadily occupied. 

Mr. Keck designed the Carnegie Library, the new 
high school building, the Franklin school building, 
the First Presbyterian church and the new armory, 
in Crookston, the Cathedral of the Emaculate Concep- 
tion, the parochial school, many stoi'e and office build- 
ings and fine residences which are among the most 
modem and satisfactory structures for their several 
purposes in the Northwest. He has also designed and 
superintended the erection of many school buildings, 
lianks, residences and stores in North Dakota, and 
a number of school and other buildings in parts of 
ilinnesota outside of Polk county. 

In fraternal life Mr. Keck is a member of the 
]\rasonie order, including the Mystic Shrine, and 
holds the rank of past commander in the Knights 
Templar branch of the fraternity. He is also a mem- 
ber of the Order of Elks and the Order of Modern 
Woodmen of America. In religious affiliation he is 
connected with the Jlethodist Episcopal church, and 
socially he is president of the Crookston Automobile 




BERT D. KECK 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



253 



club. Politically he is a Republican but not an active 
partisan, and has never held, sought or desired a pub- 
lic office. He was married in 1901 to Miss Elsa M. 



Hansen, of Jamestown, New York. They have two 
children, their daughter Madeline and their son Kon- 
rad M. 



A. STARK. 



A. Stark, cashier of the First State bank at Gully 
and an influential citizen of that place, is a native of 
Sweden, born September 12, 1883, and was brought 
to this country in his eai'ly childhood by his parents, 
who located in Mille Lacs county, Minnesota, which 
continues to be their home. Mr. Stark was reared 
in that county and was educated in the public schools. 
He then engaged in the teaching profession and after 
three years came to Polk county, accepting a position 
in a school near Mentor which he shortly after resigned 
to enter upon his successful business career as assist- 
ant cashier in the bank at Mentor, of which A. D. 
Stephens of Crookston Avas president. Since that 
time Mr. Stark has continued to be associated with 
the banking institutions of the county, his able 
achievements in this field earning him rapid promo- 
tion and recognition. After two and a half years 
in the bank at Mentor he was employed in banks at 
Hallock, Minnesota, and in Bottineau county, North 
Dakota, spending a year in each place and in Sep- 



tember, 1910, came to Gully. The First State bank 
was incorporated in that year, with L. C. Simons as 
president and Mr. Stark was made cashier, and in 
this capacity has been identified with its notable 
progress and prosperous activities and has devoted 
every effort and interest to the promotion of its 
enterprise. He is now the only one of the original 
stockholders actively associated with the bank. A. D. 
Stephens is president of the insrt;itution. Aside from 
his business operations Mr. Stark takes an active inter- 
est in every matter of public import and is an enthusi- 
astic promoter of the general welfare and growth of 
the town in which he lives. As a member of the school 
board he has given valuable service and was largely 
influential in securing the new school building, in 
which two teachers are employed with eighty pupils 
in attendance. Mr. Stark was married at Middle 
River, Minnesota, on September 21, 1910, to Elvina 
Olson. 



JAMES E. CAMPBELL. 



James E. Campbell, a successful business man of 
Fosston and senior member of the livery firm of 
Campbell & Son, was bom in Portage county, Wiscon- 
sin, November 10, 1855. His father, James V. Camp- 
bell, was for many years a well known citizen of Ada, 
Minnesota, where he was a dealer in agricultural im- 
plements. He was actively interested in political 
affairs as a member of the Republican party and 
served as postmaster during the presidential teimis of 
Harrison and Roosevelt. He retired from the office 
in 1906 and removed to Crookston, and in March of 
the following year his death occurred in Ada. James 
E. Campbell came to Minnesota in 1878 and engaged 



in the livery business in Ada for a number of years. 
For thirty-seven years he has been extensively iden- 
tified with the lively and horse trade of northern 
Minnesota, shipping many carloads of horses annually 
and doing his buying for the most part in South 
Dakota. In 1889 he located in Fosston, where he has 
operated a profitable livery business, to which he 
added, in 1909, a garage and automobile service. In 
1915 he erected the present garage, which is con- 
structed to accommodate every modern improvement 
and ample equipment. It is a large cement building 
with a pressed brick and plate glass front and a tru.ss 
roof which leaves the interior free of impeding sup- 



254 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



ports. He transacts a large business and canies a 
full line of automobile supplies and is local agent for 
the Ford and Buick companies. Mr. Campbell is a 
member of the Republican party and a zealous 
supporter of its interests. He has been actively asso- 
ciated with public affairs in official capacity, serving 
as deputy sheriff of Norman county for twelve years ; 
four years under E. T. Salverson, who was a county 
commissioner in Polk county before the organization 
of Norman county, and for two terms under Knut 
Lee. Mr. Campbell is a member of the city council 
and has been elected to the office of mayor a number 
of times. As mayor he rendered the city valuable 
service in promoting and capably managing the in- 



stallation of the city water works and electric light 
plant. His marriage to Helen M. Richmond occurred 
in Portage county, Wisconsin, and they have one son, 
Frank Raymond, who has been associated with his 
father in the livery and garage business for eight 
yeai-s. Frank R. Campbell was born at Ada, Minne- 
sota, in December, 1886, and reared in Fosston, where 
he attended the public schools. After graduating 
from high school he entered the business college at 
Fargo, North Dakota. He was married to Alice Cor- 
son of Ada, Minnesota, and they have two children, 
James and Helen Elva. He is one of the popular 
young business men of Fosston and unlike his father 
is an ardent sportsman and hunter. 



JOHN A. FLESCH. 



John A. Flesch, a pioneer farmer and eminent citi- 
zen of Rosebud township, was one of the first settlers 
in the Thirteen Towns in 1878, and has been promi- 
nently and actively identified with the history of the 
development of this section of the county. He was 
born in Germany, December 12, 1838, and when 
twelve years of age accompanied his parents to the 
United States. After a number of years .spent on 
their farm near Fond du Lac, "Wisconsin, he came to 
Steams county, Minnesota, shortly before the out- 
break of the Civil war. He enlisted in Company G 
of the Ninth Minnesota regiment and gave valiant 
service during three years of the great struggle. He 
was made a corporal in his company and received 
his honorable discharge in 1865. When the Thirteen 
Towns was first opened for settlement in 1878 he was 
one of the eight men who took claims at that time. 
For several years previous he had been living in 
Douglas county and he was accompanied from there 
to Polk county by Herman Eikens and Edward La 
Bree, who located on land adjoining his. Mr. Eikens 
is still living on his homestead, which is separated 
from the Flesch farm by a small lake, small enough' 
to carry across the sounds of friendly voices in the 
pioneer days of wilderness and few settlers. Mr. 



Flesch located on sections nineteen and twenty of what 
is now Rosebud township, five miles southwest of 
Fosston, and was the first homesteader to file his claim 
at Detroit City, which was over fifty miles distant 
and was the nearest trading place for this region. In 
the same year the land was withdrawn from the 
market and was not reopened until 188.3, when it was 
rapidly settled. Although it was uncertain that the 
land would again be opened, Mr. Flesch set about the 
clearing and improving of his farm and forsaking 
the temporary shelter of the pioneers in tents and 
wagons, erected the first house in the Thirteen Towns, 
on section nineteen. This house played an important 
part in the early histoiy of the township, sheltering 
the first store, the first school house and first post- 
office in the Thirteen Towns. A small store was 
started here by a half breed and he was succeeded 
by Mr. Foss, who operated a store and the postoffice 
of Fosston until 1884, when he removed to a location 
on the railroad, the present site of Fosston. Mr. 
Hansen then had the store on the Flesch farm, and 
the postoffice of Hansville. With the high ideals and 
native culture of the men who founded our western 
civilization, Mr. Flesch gave every effort to the early 
establishment of educational and religious activities. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



255 



In 1883 a school was organized and housed on his 
land with A. D. Wishard as teacher. John Newton 
next presided over the school and it was later made a 
district school and a log school house built two miles 
distant. Mr. Flesch did not allow the laxity of 
frontier life to affect the strictness of his religious 
observances, and he was instrumental in the building 
of the Catholic church at Hansville, where Father 
Simon officiated for a number of years, the settlers 
bringing him for the services, in the early days, from 
his mission church on Rice river. He is now in 
Cloquet and since 1908 the church at Hansville has 
been served from Crookston. Mr. Flesch has devoted 
the best part of his life to the building up of the 
community in which he lives and has given his faith- 
ful and generous support to the advancement of its 
welfare. At the time of the second opening of the 
land he located a number of the permanent settlers 
and has always been active in the administration of 
township affairs and a member of the township and 
school boards, although he has avoided county offices 
and political honors, preferring the unobtrusive 
service of responsible and intelligent citizenship. At 
the organization of the township it was he who gave 
it the name of ' ' Rosebud, ' ' prompted by the thought 



of the wild flowers which had adorned the native 
wilderness and by the name of the first child born 
in the township. Rose Eikens. In 1897 he retired 
from his farm, and it is now owned by John A. 
Newton, who married his daughter, Mary. Mr. Flesch 
was married in Stearns county, at the close of the 
Civil war, to Susanna Rodstine, who, like her husband, 
was a native of Germany. Her death occurred in 
January, 1910. A family of one son and five daughters 
were born to this union: Barney; Lena, the wife 
of Matt Brink, of Frazee, Minnesota; Mary, who 
married John Newton and lives on the old homestead ; 
Kate, who now resides at Funkley, Minnesota ; Libbie, 
the wife of Dick "Walker, of Floodwood, Minnesota; 
and Laura, the wife of Pete Stotrun, of Funkley, 
Minnesota. Despite the restricted advantages of 
pioneer life Mr. Flesch reared a family of charm and 
culture and marked intellectual ability. Mr. Flesch 
is that type of man and citizen whose influence and 
efforts are largely interwoven into the life of a com- 
munity. Possessed of great natural ability and strong 
personality, alert and progressive in all his views, he 
enjoys the high esteem and regard of all and still 
exerts the attractive companionability which made his 
home the social gathering place of the district. 



EMANUEL PEDERSON. 



Emanuel Pederson, a successful farmer of Brands- 
void township, was born in Norway, May 20, 1855. 
When he was fifteen years of age he went to sea on a 
ship carrying a cargo of coal and grain from Holland 
to England. He was seven months on his first voyage, 
sailing into the Baltic before returning to Holland. 
He next served on a Norwegian vessel engaged in the 
Baltic lumber trade, loading lumber from Scandinavia 
for Russia. For ten years he worked as a sailor, 
sailing on a number of different ships and visiting 
many ports, crossing the ocean several times to New 
York and Baltimore. During these years of hard and 
continuous labor he did not share in the improvident, 
adventuring spirit of the average sailor but saved his 



earnings and centered his ambitious upon acquiring 
land of his own in some good agricultural region. He 
came to Minnesota to join an uncle living in Otter- 
tail county, who had sent for him, offering to make 
him his heir. After two years in Ottertail county 
he went to Polk county, and in the fall of 1883 filed 
his claim on the southeast quarter of section eighteen 
in Brandsvold township. In the following year he 
began to develop his farm ; his first house was a small 
shanty, but was soon replaced by a comfortable 
dwelUng place. He has built up a good farm by 
thrifty and able management, with one hundred and 
twenty acres under cultivation, and engages in diver- 
sified farming. His farm is well stocked and he keeps 



256 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



a herd of dairy cows, selling cream to the cooperative 
creamery at Mcintosh. The Pederson place is con- 
veniently located four miles west of ilclntosh and a 
little over six miles northwest of Fosston. Mr. Peder- 
son spent three years in Canada, leaving his farm in 
charge of his sons, and took a claim there, which he 
now owns. He also assisted his sons, Ingewald 
Pederson and Edward Pederson, to secure Canadian 
land. Since the first election held in Brandsvold 
to\vnship he has been actively identified with the 
public interests and gave efficient service in the oftice 
of supervisor for twelve j-ears. His marriage to Maria 
Wick took place in Ottertail county in 1885. She 



is a native of Norwaj', born in 1867, and came to this 
country in the same year that her hu.sband did. They 
have nine children : Cecilia, wife of Ben Norgaard, 
of Eden township; Ingewald and Edward, who are 
farmers in Sa.skatchewan, and also in charge of their 
father's land there; luga, who keeps house for her 
brother Edward ; Conrad and Melvin, who assist their 
father in the management of the home place; Elmer, 
living with his brothers in Canada ; Hjalmar and 
Hilda. Mr. Pederson is a faithful supporter and one 
of the charter members of the Kingu Lutheran church 
at Fosston. 



RICHARD OHM. 



Richard Ohm, of Gull}', a well known miller and 
citizen of that township, is one of the pioneer business 
men of the county, having been employed in milling 
operations here since 1881. He is a native of Ger- 
many, born in Brandenburg, December 3, 1861. He 
was apprenticed to the miller's trade and lived in tlie 
fatherland until he was twenty years of age, when he 
came to the United States, arriving in Crookston, 
Minnesota, August 15, 1881. His first position was 
with his uncle. Otto Kankel, in the construction and 
equipment of a buhrstone mill at Fertile, which Mr. 
Ohm operated after its completion. After about a 
year and a half there he went to Norman count}' and 
operated a mill for Mr. Sohler and Mr. Kankel, and 
after running it for a time rented it until 1885, when 
he bought it, paying $6,000 for the plant. During 
the five years of his able management of this invest- 
ment he cleared the property of the debt incurred by 
the purchase and then returned to Polk county, bouglit 
a mill at Thief River Falls, in partnership with R. R. 
Jacklin ; this was a small steam mill. The railroad 
had not yet reached the town and the business por- 
tion consisted of a hotel and a few stores, and after 
two years here Mr. Ohm moved his machinery to 
Terreboime, also in the first days of its development. 
He had previously dissolved partnership with Mr. 



Jacklin and was associated in the new project with 
two cousins, conducting a profitable business here 
until 1899. Meanwhile, on a trip over the county, 
he liad passed through the old reservation land opened 
for settlement in 1896 and had noted the prospective 
agi'icultural activity as contributing to an advanta- 
geous location for a mill, and in 1899 sold his former 
interests and located in Gully township. He had a 
capital of $6,700 to promote the new enterprise, but 
expended $9,500 in the ei-ection and equipment of 
his mills, a custom and merchant mill, with full roller 
process and a capacity of seventy-five barrels. His 
excellent modern equipment and marked business 
ability have won the Gully Flour Mills a large 
patronage and steadily growing prosperity. He 
handles only home grown wheat. When the Soo rail- 
road was built through this section he gave his support 
to the organization of a town and sold forty acres of 
land to the town site company and has continued to 
be interested in the growth of Gully, although ho does 
not live in the village, his home being near the mills, 
about a quarter of a mile from the village. He has 
cleared some thirty acres of his land. Mr. Ohm has 
taken an active part in public affairs since his resi- 
dence in the township and gave valuable service as 
treasurer for a number of years, and for eight years 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



257 



was the clerk of the school board. He holds mem- 
bership in the fraternal order of Modern Woodmen at 
Red Lake Falls. He takes his occasional recreation 
in his favorite out-of-door sports, enjoying fishing and 
hunting. Mr. Ohm was married in 1883 to Lena 
Norby of Faith, Norman county, Minnesota, and 
eleven children have been bom to them : Pauline, 



M'ho married Elmer Goodrich and lives in Canada ; 
Otto; Walter, associated with his father in the mill; 
Clara, now residing in Canada ; Hattie, who was in 
the employ of the Central Telephone company for 
several years and is now at the home in Gully; and 
Richard, Ruth, Charley, Roy Eveline and Florence, 
all of whom are living with their parents. 



A. P. HANSON. 



A. P. Hanson, of Fertile, cashier of the Citizens 
State bank of that place, was born in Denmark, March 
31, 1855, and came to the United States in 1869 with 
his parents, who were pioneer farmers in Ottertail 
county, Minnesota, where their homestead was located 
near Fergus Falls. Mr. Hanson remained on the farm 
until he was nineteen years of age, when he secured 
a clerking position in St. Paul and was employed in 
that work for several years, in St. Paul and later in 
Fergus Falls. In 1878 he came to Polk county, and as 
one of the substantial and influential pioneer citizens 
of the county has been actively identified with the 
development of its resources and the notable progress 
made within its borders. His first activity in the 
financial field was as bookkeeper in the Merchants 
National bank at Crookston. His ability has been 
recognized by steady promotion through the many 
successful accomplishments of his career, and after 
six years spent in the position of bookeeper he became 
the assistant cashier of the Scandinavian American 



bank and served in that capacity for sixteen years. 
He removed to Fertile in May, 1904, and was one of 
the organizers of the Citizens State bank, in December 
of the same year becoming its cashier. As business 
man and citizen Mi\ Hanson enjoys the confidence 
and esteem of his associates, and as a member of the 
school board has been actively influential in the erec- 
tion of the new high school building. He is further 
identified with the interests of the section as the 
owner of farm lands near Fertile. In fraternal cir- 
cles he is allied with the Masonic chapter at Crooks- 
ton and is a member of the IMinnesota Bankers' 
association. Mr. Hanson was, in 1869, married to 
Miss Christine Charlotte Jacobson of St. Paul and 
they have four daughters : Elene C, who is engaged 
in teaching in the schools at Sanger, California; Cora 
E., the wife of L. R. Clements, of Ormond, Florida; 
Mabel G., who is studying music in Northwestern 
University, and Gertrude F., at home. 



HANS PAULSRUD. 



Hans Paulsrud, cashier of the Farmers State bank 
at Fertile, is a native of Norway, bora July 8, 1866. 
He was reared on a farm in his native land, making 
his home there until he was fifteen years of age, when 
he went to Sweden and for three years was employed 
as a clerk in a store. He then returned to Norway 
and remained there until 1889, when he came to the 
United States and joined his brother, Anton Paulsrud, 
in Crookston, where the latter had settled about a year 



previously. For a time Hans Paulsrud worked on the 
farm which was owned at that time by Sheriff Pauls- 
rud, meanwhile attending the schools at Crookston 
and fitting himself for wider activities in his adopted 
country. In the spring of 1890 he came to Fertile 
and secured a clerical position with the banking firm 
of Mathews & Company and has since devoted his 
career to the banking business, attaining noteworthy 
siiccess in all his operations and meriting the eonfi- 



258 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



dence and esteem of all bis associates. When the First 
State bank was organized as the successor of the old 
company Mr. Paulsrud was made the assistant cashier 
and continued to serve in that capacity through the 
subsequent change in the organization to the First 
National. In 1912 he assisted in the establishment 
of the Farmers State bank and was appointed cashier. 
He has since devoted every effort to the interests 
of this bank, which has enjoyed marked success and 
prosperity. The bank was incorporated with a capital 
of $25,000 and occupies a fine modern building which 
not only affords every accommodation for its business 



interests but is a notable addition to the superior 
architectural possessions of Fertile "s business sec- 
tion, occupying a prominent site on the main street 
of the town. Mr. Paulsrud is actively associated with 
affairs of public moment and has given able service 
as village treasurer. His marriage to Gerda John- 
son occurred in Fertile. She is a native of Sweden, 
the daughter of John Mattson, who engaged in farm- 
ing in Polk county until his death. Mr. Paulsrud and 
his wife have a family of three daughters and one son, 
Anna, John, Hilda and Agnes. 



ALBERT 0. GULLICKSON. 



Albert 0. GuUickson, of Fertile, vice president of 
the Farmers State bank and a prominent business 
man of the county, was bom in Allamakee county, 
Iowa, March 24, 1875, and has been a resident of Gar- 
field township since his early childhood. His father, 
Hans A. GuUickson, was bom in Norway and was 
brought to the United States by his parents when five 
years of age, the family being among the first of their 
countrymen to emigrate to this country. Hans Gul- 
lickson was married in Iowa to Mary Christianson, 
who like her husband was a native of Norway, and in 
1880 they came to Polk county and were pioneer set- 
tlers in Garfield township, where Hans Gullicksou 
took a homestead claim in sections eleven and four- 
teen, some three miles east of the present site of Fer- 
tile. Here he experienced all the arduous labor and 
privations of the farmer in a new country. His en- 
tire capital was represented in a team of oxen and a 
few head of stock and the tract, being covered with 
timber, required some time in preparing it for culti- 
vation. During the first seasons he worked in the 
harvest fields and then devoted his attention to his 
prospering farming operations and put one hundred 
and twenty-five acres of his two hundred and forty 
acre farm under cultivation. He became a well 
known citizen of that section and was active in all 
public interests, serving on the township board and 



was prominently associated with the organization of 
the Lutheran church, which was erected on the home- 
stead of the father of his wife, Ole Christianson, in 
section fourteen of Garfield township. Mr. Chris- 
tianson lived on his homestead until his death in 1909, 
at the age of eighty-three years. His son, Ole Chris- 
tiansen, is now a resident of Crookston. The GuUick- 
son home was on the land in section fourteen, on the 
banks of Sand Hill river and here the death of Hans 
GuUickson occurred in his fifty-eighth year, in June, 
1907. His wife survives him and continues to make 
her home on the farm with her daughter, Viola Gul- 
licksou, and the three sons, Carl GuUickson, Orton 
GuUickson and Melvin GuUickson, who operate the 
estate. The other members of the family of nine 
children are Albert 0., Martin, a former Polk county 
teacher, who has held positions in a number of Min- 
nesota schools and is now principal of the schools at 
Atwater, Minnesota; John, who taught for a time in 
Polk county and is now engaged in the practice of 
law at Great Falls, Minnesota ; Otto, associated with 
Albert 0. GuUickson in the mercantile business, and 
Robert, a farmer in Garfield township. Albert 0. 
GuUickson grew to manhood on the homestead, en- 
gaging in farming until 1904 when he began his 
commercial activities, forming a partnership with 
T. H. Nesseth and buying the interests of Martin G. 










ED. ilOSSEFIN 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



259 



Peterson in the agricultural implemeut business. 
After ten years of successful business operations, the 
firm was dissolved by the death of Mr. Nesseth, Mr. 
Gullickson buying his interests of the heirs and be- 
coming sole proprietor of the business. He conducts 
an extensive trade in all lines of farm machinery and 
implements, handling silos, windmills and engines 
and also engages in the flour and feed business. His 
store is equipped with an attractive show room and 
large storage capacity and is justly popular among 
its many patrons. Mr. Gullickson is prominently as- 
sociated with the various interests of that region, 
l^ing well known in financial circles as one of the 
organizers and the vice president of the Farmers 
State bank, at Fertile, and in public affairs has given 



capable service as a member of the village council 
and is the present recorder. He has ever recognized 
the duties of good citizenship and has exercised a 
potential influence in promoting the general welfare 
of the community, giving effective and notable as- 
sistance in the direction of the campaign against the 
saloons. In political belief, he is allied with the Re- 
publican party and an active supporter of its cause. 
Mr. Gullickson was married in 1906 to Sophia Sletto, 
the daughter of Sven and Jorand Sletto, who settled 
on a homestead in Garden township in 1882. Two 
sons have been born to them, Solon and MUes. The 
family are members of the United Lutheran church, 
in which Mr. Gullickson holds the office of trustee. 



ED MOSSEFIN. 



Ed Mossefin, of Fertile, president of the Citizens 
Stat€ bank and a successful business man of the 
county, is a native of Minnesota, born at Wilmar, 
June 5, 1878. His parents. Mads A. and Joran Mos- 
sefin, came to the United States from Norway in 1872 
and located in Chicago, where Mads Mossefin worked 
at his trade of tailoring for several years, and in 1876 
removed to Wilmar, Minnesota. In 1879 he brought 
his family to Crookston and engaged in the mercantile 
business at that place until his death in April, 1914, 
at the age of sixty-seven years, his son, Norman 
Mossefin, succeeding him in his business interests. 
His wife siirvives him and continues to make her home 
in Crookston. Mads Mossefin was well known in the 
church circles of Crookston as a trustee and influential 
member of the Synod Lutheran church and is remem- 
bered as a worthy and substantial citizen of that 
community. Ed Mossefin was reared in Crookston 
and has been identified in all his interests and activi- 
ties with the growth and development of Polk county. 
He attended the common schools and after one year 
of study in the high school entered the business world 
as a clerk for Fountaine & Anglin and was employed 
by that firm for four years. He then took a position 



aa bookkeeper in the hardware store of J. E. 'Brien 
Co., where he remained until 1901 and then made an 
independent venture in the mercantile world, open- 
ing a general store in Crookston, which he operated 
for five years, conducting a prosperous and steadily 
growing trade, which attested to his ability and 
enterprise in business activities. In 1905 he removed 
to Fertile, having been one of the organizers of the 
Citizens State bank in that place in the preceding 
December. He was appointed assistant cashier of the 
bank and has since been prominently identified with 
its notable success and rapid growth, devoting his 
entire attention to its management. In 1907 he was 
made vice president and assumed active direction of 
all the bank affairs, the president, K. J. Taralseth, 
residing at Warren, and in 1911 became president. 
The Citzens State bank is one of the most prosperous 
banking houses in this region, and as president Mr. 
Mossefin is widely known as one of the able financiers 
of the county. Mr. Mossefin is also interested in agri- 
cultural pursuits and owns two farms near Fertile. 
He takes great pleasure in out of door sports and is 
an enthusiastic huntsman, enjoying frequent outings 
in quest of game in the northeni woods as well as the 



260 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



sports in his home locality. He is a member of the Gun 
club and an active aud interested participant in all 
shooting contests and has given his influence to the 
encouragement of the athletic spirit of the community, 
faithfully supporting the baseball and other teams 
in all their interests. He is a member of the Elks 
lodge. Mr. Mo.s.sefin is that type of bu.siness man 
and citizen whose interest touches every phase of the 



life of a community and whose services are given 
freely in any project which tends to the progress and 
general welfare. He was married in 1901, at War- 
ren, Minnesota, to Lena Taralseth, the daughter of K. 
L. Taralseth, who was bom at Minneapolis and is a 
graduate of Carleton college at Northfield, Minnesota. 
;Mr. Mossefin and his wife are memlxTs of the Synod 
Lutheran church. 



HON. JOHN HOLTEN. 



Hon. John Holten, of Fertile, an eminent citizen, 
business man and statesman of Polk county, was born 
at Sundahl, Norway, September 18, 1849, and grew 
to manhood in his native land. In 1872 he came to 
the United States and settled in "Winneshiek county, 
Iowa, where he spent seven years before coming to 
Minnesota and taking a homestead claim in Norman 
county. There he was active in public affairs and in 
the organization of Sundahl township, which upon his 
petition, received its name from his old home in Nor- 
way and he also served as the first township clerk and 
assessor. His father, John J. Holten, had come to 
Iowa in 1873 and joined his son in Norman county, 
jnakiiig his liome on an adjoining homestead where 
he continued to reside until his death, February 16, 
1910, at the age of eighty-six years. Tlie death of 
his W'ife occurred some two years earlier, in her 
ninety -first year. Mr. Holten 's career as a merchant 
dates from the start of the village of Fertile, when in 
partnership with Mr. Carlson he engaged in the 
agricultural machinery business. The usual success 
and extensive operations of this firm has set a worthy 
pace for the rapid growth of the town ; from a busi- 
ness started with but capital sufficient for the freight 
charges on a carload of machinery, it has advanced 
to a twenty thousand dollar stock and totals the an- 
nual sales at forty thousand. In 1886 Mr. Holten had 
become a wheat buyer at Twin Valley and in Decem- 
ber of that year transferred his operations to Fer- 
tile and this enterprise continued to receive his atten- 
tion for a number of years, the majiagement of the 



store being left to his partner, Mr. Carlson. In 1892 
the latter removed to Tennessee and Mr. Holten be- 
came sole owner of the business, two years later add- 
ing a stock of general merchandise. Mr. Carlson 
returned to Fertile in 1897 and the old relation was 
again resumed and the firm has since continued as 
Holten & Carlson. They are the owners of the at- 
tractive business block which they occupy, one of the 
largest in Fertile, and the adjoining building which 
was formerly utilized for farm machinery, a depart- 
ment which was discontinued in 1915, the firm inter- 
ests now being directed solely to a general mercantile 
trade. Mr. Holten is still the owner of his Norman 
county homestead which comprises 220 acres and, in 
partnership with Mr. Carlson, owns a quarter section 
of land four miles north of Fertile. Mr. Holten 's 
achievements have not been confined to the private 
interests of the business world but his talent and 
attention has been given freely for the benefit of the 
public welfare and progress where the worth of his 
service has marked him as a leader in the activities 
of the commonwealth. His influence has been prom- 
inent in the furthering of all civic improvements and 
as president of the Fair association, he has assisted 
in putting the Fertile fair on equally notable basis 
with the County fair at Crookston. In local offices 
he has filled the positions of village treasurer, village 
recorder, and a member of the board of education for 
fourteen years, the last six of which he was president 
of the board and for three terms has been president 
of the town council. In 1907 his field of service was 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



261 



widened through his election to the lower house of 
the State Legislature as representative from the sixty- 
second district. An issue of that election was the 
county option law and he made his stand as a staunch 
defender of temperance, in which cause he has always 
been a valiant fighter. He was re-elected for a second 
term and in 1911 without making a personal cam- 
paign for favor, and was again returned to office, re- 
ceiving a larger majority from his fellow voters than 
in previous elections. His activity and ability as a 
legislator brought him a wide reputation and the con- 
fidence and high regard of his constituents. During 
his membership in the House he sei-ved on numerous 
important committees, on the State Prison and Re- 
form committee, the several committees regulating 
commerce and retail trade, public lands and the state 
fair and in 1911 was chairman of the drainage com- 
mittee and was appropriation commissioner for roads 



and bridges. He also sat in the special session of 1912. 
He was not a candidate for re-election in 1913 and has 
given his attention to his business interests. Mr. Hol- 
ten is a member of the Sons of Norway and of the 
United Lutheran church and has given faithful service 
as a trustee in that congregation for many years. His 
favorite recreation is found in out of door life and he 
has collected many trophies which attest to his skill 
as a hunter and fisherman. Mr. Holten was married 
in 1892, to Elina Hofif, of Battle Lake, Ottertail 
county, and they have a family of two sons and five 
daughters, John Chester, who is associated with his 
father in the mercantile business; Melvin Stanley, 
employed in the Citizens State bank ; Frances, who is 
a student in the Normal school at St. Cloud; Esther 
and Agnes, members of the high school classes of 
1916 and 1917, and Lillian and Ena. 



B. E. BEARSON. 



B. E. Bearson, of Fertile, well known i-eal estate 
man and proprietor of the Bearson & Son garage, 
has been actively associated off and on with the busi- 
ness activities of that place for some twenty-five 
years. He is a native of the state, bom in Fillmore 
county, November 20, 1864, and grew to manhood in 
a pioneer farm home. When eighteen years of age 
he embarked upon his commercial career as a dealer 
in horses, meeting with steady success in his venture 
and within a few years began to ship into the north- 
ei'n pai't of the state. He came to Polk county in 
1890, locating at Fertile and continued as a horse 
dealer for several years, buying in southern Minne- 
sota and shipping to Fertile and Fargo, North 
Dakota, and the adjacent agricidtural districts. Sub- 
sequently he made Britton, South Dakota, his ship- 
ping point for several years and then returned to 
Polk county and opened a general store at Mentor in 
1903 and during the three years of mercantile opera- 
tions began his activity as a real estate dealer, having 
previously invested in farm lands near Fertile and 



Mentor. In 1904 he removed to Fertile and bought 
land adjoining the town, where he has made a spa- 
cious and attractive country home, situated on a forty 
acre tract. He began his business operations in the 
county with a capital of $2,000, and the success to 
which he has attained and the steady prosperity of 
his efforts, attests to his marked ability as a business 
man and to his worth as a citizen. He continues to 
engage in the shipping of horses in Polk county but 
devotes the most of his attention to the real estate 
business and now owns some twelve hundred acres of 
land in Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Dakotas and 
is interested in town property and business buildings 
in Fertile and other places. His land includes both 
wild and cultivated tracts and through his policy of 
improving every piece of property in which he in- 
vests, he has signally contributed to the progress and 
development of the country. He has recently ex- 
tended his interests to the automobile business and 
has erected a modern garage in Fertile and operates 
a repair shop and automobile agency; his son, Edwin 



262 



compendiu:m of history and biography op polk county 



Bearson, being in charge of this business. Mr. Bear- 
son has ever given his active co-operation in affairs 
of public moment and has given able service as a 
progressive and public spirited citizen but has always 
avoided political activity. He enjoys the hunting 
and fishing in which his native state abounds and 
makes these out of door sports his favorite form of 
recreation. Mr. Bearson was married at Bi-itton, 
South Dakota, August 7, 1893, to Eli7>a Bundrock, 
who was born in Wisconsin in 1874 and accompanied 
her parents to Dakota in her early childhood. Two 



children were bom to them, Edwin, the manager of 
the garage of Bearson & Son; and Gertrude, who 
graduated from the Fertile high school in 191.5 and 
is now engaged in the study of music. Mr. Bearson 
and his family are members of the United Lutheran 
church. Mr. Bearson 's parents were Engebret and 
Guneld (Cresthaug) Bearson. They were natives of 
Norway and were among the pioneers of Fillmore 
county. The father died in that county and mother 
in North Dakota. They were farmers. They have 
five sons and three daughters living. 



HOGEN MERRILL HOGENSON. 



Hogen Merrill Hogenson, of Fertile, rural mail car- 
rier and well known citizen, was bom in Rock county, 
Wisconsin, November 29, 1857, the son of Peter and 
Sonva Hogenson, who had made the long trip across 
the waters from their native land of Norway to this 
country in a sailing vessel, taking several months to 
make the voyage. In 1863, when Hogen Hogenson 
was a lad of six years, the family removed to 01m- 
stead county, where Peter Hogenson located on laud 
and devoted his attention to the development of a 
fann. The parents made their home on the home- 
stead during the remainder of their lives. H. ]M. 
Hogenson resided there until 1880, when he took a 
homestead claim in Clay county, Minnesota, and 
proved up on the tract, acquiring the title within two 
years, with a cash payment for the land. In 1886 he 
came to Polk county to secure more land and pre- 
empted a claim in Garden towiiship, filing one of the 
last preemptions permitted under the law. Here he 
engaged in the arduous labor of clearing and culti- 
vating the wild land, working during the first years 
wnthout a team and then became the owner of a yoke 
of oxen. For seventeen years he gave his attention 
to agi-icultural pursuits and built up a prosperous 
farm property which he left in 1903 to remove to Fer- 
tile, where he has since made his home. For a time 
he was employed in draying and other occupations 
and in October, 1905, secured his appointment as 



rural mail carrier and for ten years he has continued 
to capably discharge the duties of this position, which 
entails the responsibilities of a twenty-eight mile 
route, through Garfield, Woodside and Godfrey town- 
ships, with some eighty patrons, the number of de- 
liveries each month passing the six thousand mark. 
Jlr. Hogenson is still interested in farm land near 
his old place in Garden township and on coming to 
Fertile, bought his present home which is one of the 
attractive residences of the town. As a progressive 
and public spirited citizen, Mr. Hogenson has always 
been identified with public activities and has earned 
the confidence and respect of all his associates for his 
integrity and ability in all phases of his career. He 
is widely known through his service in official capac- 
ity, having filled the various offices in Garden town- 
ship, and the office of constable in Fertile, from which 
he resigned to accept his position as mail carrier. He 
is a member of the order of the Sons of Norway. 
Mr. Hogenson has been three times married. His 
first union was with Christine J. Grimsrud, who is 
survived by three children, Peter E., employed as a 
motorman on the railway in St. Paul ; Serena, who 
married Kittle Moen and resides in Dodge county, 
Minnesota; and Anna, who is married and resides at 
Turtle Lake, North Dakota. Mr. Hogenson 's second 
marriage was with Martha Johnson. His present wife, 
Bertha Souders Hogenson, is a native of Ohio and 






^-^.^^^^/-^^^-^^e,J^^^^-uAti/^r^ 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



263 



of German pajentage. She is prominently associated Mrs. Hogenson is the bonded substitute for her hus- 

witii the social life of the community and takes an band on the mail route and has ably served as such 

active interest in the affairs of the church and club for the past two years. 
circlea They have one son, Max, aged eleven years. 



HON. HALVOR STBENERSON. 



A strong man, verily, is Halvor Steenerson — strong 
in physique, strong in mental power, strong in moral 
force and strong in the influence he wields in public 
life. For a member of the National Congress is he, 
and, as such, has rendered such valiant service that 
he has been re-elected by his constituents no less than 
six consecutive times, having thus been a member of 
the 58th, 59th, 60th, 61st, 62nd, 63rd and 64th Con- 
gresses. 

As his name would indicate, the Honorable Halvor 
Steenerson is of sturdy Norwegian stock. His father, 
Stener Knudson, was an educator of no mean ability. 
A biographical sketch of him appeal's elsewhere in the 
volume. 

Halvor, when about seventeen .years of age, was 
entered as a student at Rushford High school, and 
after attending that institution for two j-ears was 
licensed to teach. By teaching and doing farm work 
he was enabled to pay his way at school for another 
year, and he then entered a law office as a clerk and 
law student. In 1878 he went to Chicago and entered 
the Union College of Law where he pursued his legal 
studies for two terms. He then essayed the bar exam- 
ination, passed with distinction and was admitted to 
the bar of the Supreme Court of Illinois in June, 1878. 
Returning to Minnesota, he was admitted to practice 
there, opened an office at Lanesboro, Minnesota, in 
which city he remained till spring, 1880, when he 
moved to Crookston, Minnesota, which is still his 
home. 

Such was the native ability and thoroughness of 
the work of Mr. Steenerson that, within six mouths 
after locating in Crookston, he was elected County 
Attorney. As a prosecutor he was markedly success- 



ful and he began to be at once recognized as a rising 
lawyer of ability. Two years later he was elected 
State Senator, being the youngest member of that 
body. He served on the Judiciary Committee and 
helped to frame the law creating the Board of Rail- 
road and Warehouse Commissioners of 1885. This 
was the first attempt at railroad and warehouse regu- 
lation in Minnesota, and was two years before the 
Congress of the United States passed the Interstate 
Commerce Act. He served four years, his term end- 
ing in January, 1887. He then, for fifteen years, 
devoted himself to general practice, his reputation 
extended throughout the Northwest, and he took part 
in some of the most noted trials of those days. Before 
his election to Congress he was twice sent as a Dele- 
gate to the Republican National Conventions (1884- 
1888). His success as a lawyer may be said to be due 
to natural talent and great industry, his tact and skill 
in the management of his case, and his ability to com- 
mand the respect and confidence of court and jury. 
Though not unskilled in the arts of advocacy, he rarely 
resorted to appeals to the emotions, but mainly relied 
on the logic and reason of his position. These traits 
have also marked him as a political speaker and de- 
bater. 

In 1893, Mr. Steenerson brought a proceeding under 
the laws of the state of Minnesota to force a reduction 
in the transportation rates on grain. This important 
litigation he conducted, refusing all compensation 
therefor, and, through his masterly presentation of 
the facts carried to a successful conclusion, the ' ' Steen- 
erson Grain Rate Case," as it is known, which has 
since been cited in nearly every important case in- 
volving the regulation of the cliarges of pubUc utilities. 



264 



COxMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



The state of Minnesota in 1901 adopted a direct 
priniai-y law for the nomination of Representatives 
in Congress, and Mr. Steenersou was nominated and 
elected by a large majority. As already stated, he is 
now serving his seventh consecutive term, and is the 
ranking Republican member of the Committee on Post 
Office and Post Roads, one of the most important Com- 
mittees in Congress. 

During the sixtieth and sixty-first Congresses he 
was also Chairman of the Committee on the ]Militia, 
and was largely responsible for the enactment of the 
"Dick-Steener.son Militia Law," an act, "To promote 
the efficiency of the Militia," approved May 27, 1908. 
The merit of this law is being more and more recog- 
nized as tlie years go by. 

Mr. Steenerson has favored the Hepburn Law, and 
all legislation for the effective control of interstate 
railroads and utilities, the conservation of natural 
resources, and progressive legislation generally. He 
has aided in opening large areas of the public domain 
to settlement and development, and, being familiar 
with pioneer conditions, and appreciating the courage, 
fortitude, and sufferings of the pioneer settlers every- 
where, has favored liberal laws and administration in 
public land matters so far as the settler is concerned. 
He has frequently secured the passage of acts for the 
relief of settlers on the public domain, where the 
harshness of general rules or administration has justi- 
fied such action. In northern Minnesota were large 
tracts of land ceded by Indians, which were subject 
to homestead entry only upon pa>nnent of from $1.2.^ 
to !|;4 per acre, the price at which the Indians had sold 
the land to the United States. This land was so wet 
and swampy as to be unfit for occupancy until drained. 
He secured the enactment of the Act of -lune 21, 1906, 
providing for a drainage survey of ceded Indian lands 
and free public lauds, which was executed by the 
United States Geological Survey, and the report 
thereon demonstrated the feasibility of the proposal. 
Later Congress passed the Act of May 20, 1908, which 
made public, as well as these ceded, unsold Indian 



lands, and entered lands not yet proved up, — all sub- 
ject to the assessment for drainage improvements 
under the State law, the same as privately owned 
lands, and directed, in default of payment of such 
drainage assessment, the sale of the land to any qual- 
ified homesteader and the issuance of a patent to such 
purchaser upon his payment of the drainage assess- 
ment and the price, if any, due to the Indians. The 
effect of these laws has been the reclamation of more 
than two millions of acres of land and the construc- 
tion of three or four thousand miles of main and 
lateral ditches without a single dollar having been 
expended from the United States Treasury-. The proj- 
ects are initiated and carried out under state laws, 
and financed by the issuing of county bonds. 

A son of a veteran, himself, Mr. Steenerson has 
always taken an active interest in legislation and 
administration aft'eeting the veterans of the Civil War. 
He has gladly devoted his legal ability sind his time 
to the prosecution of their claims, both before the 
Department, and before Congress. 

His most important service to the public, however, 
has been rendered as a member of the Post Office and 
Post Roads Committee of the House of Representa- 
tives. He has aided in perfecting the laws against 
fraudulent use of the mails, he has favored the im- 
provement of the postal semee in every branch, and 
has worked especially to better the wages and work- 
ing conditions of the thousands of faithful and hard- 
working employees in the humbler and lower grades 
of the service. He was active in the establishment and 
development of the Rural Free Deliveiy Service, and 
the establishment of parcels post and postal savings 
lianks. He is a friend of civil service, and lead the 
opposition in the Sixty-third Congress to the proposi- 
tion to abolish the position of "Assistant Postmaster," 
in first and second class offices, and to put rural de- 
livery on a contract basis, as an attack on the merit 
system and civil service. Although these propositions 
were supported by the administration and a majority 
of the Democratic members of the House, they were 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



265 



defeated, largely through the skillful leadership of 
Mr. Steenerson, acting as ranking member of the Post 
Office Committee, and in charge on the Republican 
side. 

Though a believer in reasonable military prepara- 
tion, he has also been active in the cause of interna- 
tional arbitration and the peace movement. He is a 
member and one of the Vice-Presidents of the Amer- 
ican Group of the Interparliamentary Union for Inter- 
national Arbitration, and was chosen a Delegate to 
represent this country at the last meeting appointed to 
be held at Stockholm, Sweden, in August, 1914, but 
which, on account of the breaking out of the Euro- 
pean War, had to be abandoned. He, together with 
other delegates, started to attend the meeting, but on 
arrival in England, had to return home. 

Personally Mr. Steenerson is of athletic build, 
stands 6 feet, 3 inches in his stocking feet, weighs 225 
pounds, and is fond of out-door life, camping and 
fishing. 

A study of the career of Mr. Steenerson — the noted, 
progressive Republican leader of Minnesota as nar- 
rated in the preceding pages, gives rise to the observa- 
tion that rather remarkable is the likeness in his life 
with that of the eminent Democratic leader. Speaker 
Champ Clark, of Missouri. Steenerson 's father was 
a teacher, Clark 's father was an educator also. Steen- 
erson was bom on a farm in Wisconsin, Clark was 
born a few months sooner, on a farm in Kentucky. 
Work on the farm in Minnesota developed Steenerson 
into one of the biggest and strongest men physically 
now in public life ; one of the two largest men of the 
Republican side of the House of Representatives in 
the Congress of this great republic. Work on the 
farm in Kentucky developed Clark into a physical 
giant. He towers above all of the men on the Demo- 
cratic side of the House of Representatives, and he 
is easily the heavy weight of his party in Congress. 

Steenerson and Clark, hundreds of miles apart, and 

unknown to each other, were much alike mentally, in 

their purposes and ambitions, although of course 
17 



wholly unknown to each other. Each of these eminent 
and worthy statesmen worked hard when young and 
earned their education, and each entertained a laud- 
able ambition to accomplish results really worth while 
in the higher walks of life. Clark went to Cincinnati, 
studied in one of the best law schools of that city, and 
then settled in the temperate climate of Missouri and 
began the practice of his profession. Steener.son went 
to Chicago, studied in a college of high reputation 
there and then returned to the severe climate of Min- 
nesota and began practicing the same profession, imme- 
diately achieving success. Unknown to each other, the 
orbits of these patriotic statesmen were widening, and 
approaching each other. Finally, because of their 
worth, merit, dignitj^, honor and uniform courtesy, 
the number of their friends so increased that they 
were elected to Congress, and there each recognized 
in the other a man of merit. They have become great 
personal friends. Each one of them is recognized as 
a leader. No man on the Republican side of the House 
of Representatives can secure recognition of the 
Speaker sooner than Steenerson ; and, if the people 
only knew it, such recognition makes a man exception- 
ally valuable to his constituents and to his State. 

As all who are versed in parliamentary procedure 
and customs know, no member of Congress can obtain 
an important chairmanship in the House of Repre- 
sentatives unless his people elect and re-elect him con- 
tinuously for several years. Mr. Steenerson 's constitu- 
ents have done wisely and well by returning him 
again and again for seven terms. Mark the result. 

Because of seniority of faithful service Mr. Steener- 
son is now the ranking Republican member of the 
powerful and important Committee on Post-offices and 
Post-roads. That means much more than can be told 
in writing or in print. When the Republicans next 
have a majority in the House of Representatives Mr. 
Steenerson will be in all probability Chairman of that 
Committee; a position of great influence and power 
over the postal affairs of this vast Republic, from ocean 
to ocean, from the great lakes to the gulf, and over 



266 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



our National possessions in the Atlantic and Pacific 
Oceans. 

Possessed of the genius of labor, Representative 
Steenerson is regarded as one of the most arduous and 
tremendous workers in the House of Representatives. 
In laying the foundation for a superstructure of a 
worthy and busy life, he, like Champ Clark, taught a 
country school while in his teens. 

It is apparent that, early in life, Mr. Steenerson 
realized that in this woi-ld of strife and endeavor, to 
work strenuously and intelligently means to attain. 
His aim was high. He desired to achieve, and he has 
amply succeeded. 

Work, faithful and disinterested, forms the keynote 
of the character of this man who is looked up to by 
his colleagues in Congress ; whose advice is sought by 
men from other states on almost all topics which call 
for consideration by the Congress. In the caucuses 
of his party, when considering questions affecting the 
prosperity and honor of this gi-eat nation, his col- 
leagues always want to hear from Ilalvor Steenerson. 
They are usually glad to follow his counsel, because 
they know it will be sound and wise. 

Halvor Steenerson is a man of deep religious con- 
victions, and his faith and hope has never wavered, 
even in many afHictions. 

Those who know liim best, comprehending his 



inherent force, expect Ilalvor Steenei-son to go ou 
achieving still greater things, as the days and yeai-s 
of his public life give further opportunity for nobler 
effort. 

Mr. Steenerson is a member of several fraternal 
orders, among them the Free Masons, the Elks and the 
^lodern Woodmen of America. 

He married at LaCrosse, Wisconsin, in November, 
1878, ^laria Fjaugesund, born on Fjangesuud estate, 
Thclemarken, Norway, daughter of Christoffer 
Fjaugesund and Maria, his wife. Mr. Steenerson and 
his wife had issue as follows : One boy, died in infancy. 
Clara N., born June 3, 1881, graduated from Crooks- 
ton High School 1900, died 1901. Edwin, born 1882, 
died 1885. Benjamin Gilbert, born Feb. 21, 1884, 
graduated from George Washington University of 
Washington, D. C, 1906, drowned at Narragansett 
Bay, Rhode Island, Feb. 16, 1908, while serving in 
United States Marine Corps, in an attempt to rescue 
a comrade who had fallen overboard. 

Thus, to the great grief of the parents, none of their 
children survive. The earnest sympathy of every 
American citizen is theirs in their repeated bereave- 
ments but especially in the loss of their beloved son 
who died a hero and gave his life while trying to save 
that of another. 



H. S. AASEN. 



H. S. Aasen, the well known hardware merchant of 
Winger, was boni at Telemarken, Norway, January 
20, 1874, and came to the United States and to Fill- 
more county, Minnesota, when seventeen years of age. 
He removed to Polk county ahout a year and a half 
later and was employed for a time in farm work. In 
1896 he embarked upon his commercial career as the 
proprietor of a store at Gosseu in Winger township, 
in a building which had been erected and used for 
business purposes, by a Mr. Hughes. Mr. Aasen con- 
ducted a general store here for some eight years, starts 



ing with an investment of one hundred and thirty 
dollars and building up a profitable business. He also 
discharged the duties of postmaster until the office was 
discontinued. He located in Winger in 1906, after 
giving his attention to fanning interests for two years, 
and bought the hardware store which had been estab- 
lislied by A. K. Ingebo. Under the management of 
ilr. Aasen, this enterprise has met with marked pros- 
perity and a steadily growing trade. He has added a 
warehouse to the original building and handles a gen- 
eral line of hardware and agricultural implements. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



267 



the success of his operations readily appearing in the 
rapid increase in the capital invested from $2,000 to 
$11,000 and in the receipts of $32,000 in 1914 as com- 
pared with the eight thousand dollar trade of the first 
year. In 1913 he opened a hardware store at New 
Folden, in Marshall county, which has also enjoyed a 
large patronage. Aside from his mercantile interests, 
Mr. Aasen has conducted a successful real estate busi- 
ness and is extensively identified with the various 
business activities of Winger, being a stockholder in 
the Farmers State bank and elevator and in other 
local enterprises. He also gives his attention to the 



management of his farm property, owning two hun- 
dred acres in Polk county and is especially interested 
in the cultivation of clover. His substantial standing 
in the community and the notable success which he has 
won through his individual efforts, bespeaks his ability 
and worth as a business man and citizen. He has been 
active in all matters of public moment and has served 
as township clerk and justice of peace, occupying the 
former office for some seven years. He is a member of 
the Free Lutheran church. Mr. Aasen was married 
in 1901, to Lena Carlson of Winger and they have 
three children, Harold, Anna and Noi-^'al. 



A. I. SOLBERG. 



A. I. Solberg, cashier of the Farmers State bank at 
Winger, was born in Norway, July 23, 1863, and 
came to the United States when a lad of seventeen. 
On landing he came direct to Wabasha county, Min- 
nesota, and for six years worked on the Mississippi 
river, employed on steamboats and in rafting logs. 
During the winter season he devoted his time to fitting 
himself for more efficient activity in the business 
world by attending the business college at La Crosse. 
He came to Crookston in January, 1887, as a sales- 
man and bookkeeper in the store of Joseph and 
Andrew Locken, the latter being the captain of the 
steamboat on which he had been employed, and re- 
mained in that position for three years. The store 
being sold in 1890, Mr. Solberg and Andy Locken, a 
fellow clerk, made an independent commercial ven- 
ture in Crookston, opening a clothing store which 
proved to be an unsuccessful enterprise. Subse- 
quently he worked in the office of John Amundson 
the registrar of deeds and in 1895 again entered the 
mercantile business, investing a small capital in the 
grocery trade and conducted a prosperous business 
during the next three years. In 1899, selling his 
interests, he bought a one hundred and sixty acre 
farm in Knute township, five miles south of Erskine. 
Very little of the land had been developed and for 
the ensuing eight years he devoted his attention to 



its improvement, placing fifty acres into cultivation 
and equipping it for successful operation. In 1908 
he became assistant cashier in the Citizens State bank 
at Mcintosh so serving for several years, in associa- 
tion with Mr. Charles L. Conger, the cashier. In 
1912, he returned to his farm but soon becoming in- 
terested in the re-organization of the Farmers State 
bank at Winger, as one of the new stockholders, was 
made its cashier June 1, 1912. He made his home on 
the farm until 1914, when he sold and removed to 
Winger, where he platted a twelve acre addition, 
part of which he still owns. Aside from his private 
interests Mr. Solberg has been prominently identi- 
fied with public activity and enjoys the esteem and 
regard of a wide circle of friends. He has been hon- 
ored with various offices, serving while in Knute 
township as township clerk, justice of peace and 
member of the school board ; and, was elected probate 
judge for Columbia county, the action of the supreme 
court in dissolving its organization, annulling his 
office. Mr. Solberg is a Democrat and in 1910 was 
candidate for Clerk of Court, being the only member 
of his party on the county ticket in that election. 
Mr. Solberg was married January 1, 1892, to Mary 
E. Johnson, of Crookston, the daughter of Mrs. Annie 
Johnson, who had been a homesteader in Knute town- 
ship in 1884. Five children have been born to this 



268 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



union, Agnes, who was a teacher in the Polk county 
schools for a time; Hilma, Phillip, Ralph and Arthur. 
Mr. Solberg is a member of the United Lutheran 



church and is affiliated with the Modern Woodmen 
of America. 



JOSEPH TAGLEY. 



Joseph Tagley, cashier of the First State bank of 
Mentor and vice president of the State bank of Gully, 
has been associated for many years with the business 
interests of this section. He is a native of Wisconsin, 
bom in St. Croix county, October 26, 1867, the young- 
est of five brothers and one sister, children of John J. 
and Bertha Tagley. The family, after fourteen years 
residence in Jackson county, Minnesota, came to Polk 
county in 1883 and John J. Tagley became a home- 
steader in Woodside township about four miles south- 
east of the present village of Mentor. In the same 
year, in partnership with his father, Joseph Tagley 
engaged upon his initial venture in the business world 
with a small store at Rothsay, Minnesota, and three 
years later transferred his operations to Polk county, 
opening a store at the location of the Woodside post- 
office, in section twenty-two, the first store and for a 
few years the only one in Woodside township. Under 
the able direction of the young merchant, this proved 
a most successful enterprise, he bought out his 
father's interest and rapidly advanced from his 
modest .start with a three hundred dollar capital to a 
two thousand dollar stock of genei*al merchandise. 
In 1892 he sold the building and removed his goods 
to Mentor, seven miles distant, where he opened a 
general store with a marked increase on his former 
activities, putting in a six thousand dollar stock. 
Although he was not able to entirely finance his opera- 
tions during the first few months, this ambitious 
endeavor was made possible through the confident 
cooperation of the wholesale firms and one of the 
flourishing mercantile enterprises of the county was 
auspiciously started on its career. Mr. Tagley con- 
tinued his prosperous relations with this business 
until 1900 and in the later years was conducting an 
annual business of $30,000. He then sold the store 



to 0. Moreau & Son but continues to be the owner of 
the building in which it is located. Upon retiring 
from the mercantile field, his interest turned to other 
financial activities and in 1901, in company with A. D. 
Stephens, he opened the Bank of ^lentor and has 
since given his attention to the direction of its af- 
fairs. In 1908 it was incorporated as the First State 
bank of Mentor, with a capital of $10,000. Mr. 
Stephens became president; Mrs. Tagley, vice presi- 
dent; and Mr. Taglej', cashier; in which capacity 
he has become well known in financial circles through 
the substantial results of his management. A more 
exhaustive comment on the merit and activity of 
this institution is made elsewhere in this work. Mr. 
Tagley also has extensive land interests in the state, 
owning some two sections in Polk, Clearwater, and 
Rosseau counties, over one-half of which is in Polk 
county. All of his Polk county land is being operated 
by Mr. Tagley through tenants. His agricultural 
interests have been mainly centered on grain and 
stock farming and he has given much attention to 
the improvement of stock, keeping a high grade 
and breeding Holsteiu cattle. He has further been 
identified with the business interest of the community 
in his association with A. D. Stephens, in the estab- 
lishment of a creamery in 1900. LTnder the manage- 
ment of Mr. E. Axelson, this proved a valuable 
enterprise to the farmers of the territory. This led 
to the organization of a new company upon a co- 
operative basis which has now ninety stockholders, 
of whom Mr. Tagley is one. The importance and 
success of Mr. Tagley 's interests have inevitably con- 
tributed with the confidence and respect of his fellow 
citizens to make him a forceful factor in public af- 
fairs. In official capacity he has served as township 
clerk, village president, and in other local positions 




JOSEPH TAGLEY 



COMPENDIUM OP HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



269 



and was postmaster under the Cleveland adminis- 
tration. He is a member of tlie Modern Woodmen 
of America, having served as Venerable Council for 
fifteen years. I\Ir. Tagley has recently made a notable 
addition to the residence district of Mentor in the 
fine modern home which he has erected, which in 
addition to its architectural attractions, is provided 
with all the modem conveniences with which the vil- 



lage has not yet supplied its citizens, including an 
electric light and watering plant, power laundry, and 
hot water heating system. Mr. Tagley was married 
in 1895 to Milla Olson, of Pislier, Polk county, the 
daughter of Evan Olson, a retired business man of 
that place. They have one child, Elmer J. Tagley. 
]\Ir. Tagley and his wife are members of the Congre- 
gational church. 



RICHARD MULCAHEY. 



Having been engaged in productive, jDrogressive 
and profitable fai*ming, live stock raising and dairy- 
ing for sixteen years in Polk county, and having also 
taken a helpful part in promoting the development 
and improvement of the county in general and the 
township of Fairfax in particular, Richard Mulcahey, 
who is now living retired in Crookstou, has rendered 
this part of Minnesota good service and justly earned 
universal esteem and good will. His home farm com- 
prises the west half of Section 17, in Pairfax town- 
ship, and is just two miles southeast of the corpora- 
tion limits of Crookston. 

Mr. Mulcahey was born about seventy-five years 
ago and reared in the province of Ontario, Canada, 
and followed farming in a general way there until 
1897, when he came to Polk county. He bought 480 
acres of wild prairie, paying !|!l6 au acre for 320 
acres and $23 au acre for the other 160 acres, and 
going in debt for nearly all the purchase price, as 
his capital, consisted of three horses, two cows and 
less than $100 in cash. He broke up the land and 
began raising grain and keeping horses and cows. 
In time he put up comfortable buildings, and by in- 
dustry and good management has made it worth at 
least $100 an acre. He also bought a quarter section 
of land north of the city, for which he paid $7 an 
acre. This he broke up and improved, sunk an arte- 
sian well, and then sold at $23 an acre. 

The stock-raising industry which Mr. Mulcahey 
carried on was rendered very successful and profit- 
able by his excellent system of operating also an 



active dairying busLuess in connection. Keeping 
fourteen milch cows and makes butter for private cus- 
tomers. His daughters became expert butter makers, 
and one of them took many prizes at the county fair 
for the best butter. The father made a specialty of 
having live stock of a high grade, and he also made 
exhibits of prodiicts at the fairs. A deep artesian 
well furnishes an abundant supply of excellent water 
for stock and other pui-poses. He has experienced, 
however, some mishaps. One season being so wet 
that he was unable to cut his grain and another was 
so that he could do no plowing at the proper time. 
Two crops were also destroyed by hail. 

In 1913, he gave up active work and took up his 
residence in Crookston, where he owns a pleasant 
home and other valuable property. While he has 
always manifested a deep and serviceable interest 
in the welfare of his township and the county, he has 
had no taste for public affairs and has never dabbled 
in politics or sought or desired a political office. His 
private affairs have so absorbed him that he has de- 
voted his time and energies to them. He is a member 
of the Cathedral congregation of the Catholic church. 

At the age of twenty-six Mr. Mulcahey was united 
in marriage with Miss Mary Jordan, who was, like 
liimself, a native of Canada. She died on the farm 
•Januaiy 13, 1910. They were the parents of seven 
children, two of whom are living in Canada and four 
in Polk county. A daughtei*, Agnes, died in this 
county while still in her teens. The living children 
in Polk county are: Prancis, who is managing the 



270 



COilPExXDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



fanu; Andrew, who is living with his father; Eliza, 
■who is the widow of John Larsen aud is also living 



at home, aud Miunie, who is the housekeeper lor the 
famil}'. 



IGNATIUS KINGMAN. 



Ignatius Kiugmau, of East Grand Forks, proprie- 
tor of the Kingman Pharmacy and one of the prom- 
inent and progressive business men of the county, 
is a native of Holland, born at Bakhuizcn, in the 
Province of Friesland, July 3, 1865. He was edu- 
cated in his native land and remained there until 
twenty-four years of age, when he came to the United 
States and located in St. Paul aud there fitted him- 
self for his .subsequent successful career as druggist. 
In 1896 he left St. Paul for Grand Forks and .spent 
a number of yeare there, employed as a prescription 
druggist and in 1903 removed to East Grand Forks 
and engaged in his present prosperous enterprise, 
which as tlic only pharmacy in that town and as one 
of the best equipped and most efficient in the north- 
west, enjoys a wide reputation and patronage which 
notably attests to the competence and ability of Mr. 
Kingman as a druggist and business man. Mr. King- 
man is a registered pharmacist in Minnesota and 



North Dakota and has proven himself amply fitted 
to conduct his business interests in a manner that 
insures a lasting prosperity and redounds to the sub- 
stantial accomplishments in the community. The 
Kingman Pharmacy occupies a fine brick block and 
handles a complete line of drugs and the usual acces- 
sory lines of the drug store, to which has recently 
been added an attractive stock of victrolas and sup- 
plies. Mr. Kingman is the secretary of the Sacred 
Heart Catholic church of which he is a prominent 
and influential member. His influence is readily of- 
fered in every activity affecting the general welfare 
of the community and he is a well known member in 
club and fraternal circles, being affiliated with the 
Knights of Columbus, the Elk lodge and the Commer- 
cial club. His marriage to Johanna Ribbentrop, of 
St. Paul, occurred February 17, 1897, and they have 
three children, Gerhart, Josephine, wlio are memlwrs 
of the high school classes of 1916 and 1918, and Henry. 



JOHN PERRY. 



Although he bought the farm on which he now 
lives as an investment, with no intention at the time 
of locating on it himself, John Perry, one of the prin- 
cipal farmers and leading citizens of Andover town- 
ship, soon afterward became a permanent resident 
of the county, and has never had occasion to regret 
the circumstances which induced him to do so. His 
fine and highly improved farm is Section 15, Andover 
township, five miles southwest of the Crookston court- 
house, and near the Girard elevator, embi'aces 632 
acres, the whole of the section except the railroad 
right of way, and is one of the most d('sii"il)le in the 
county. 

Mr. Perry was born in Polk county, Missouri, 
November 26, 1873, and reared on farms in Boone 



and Story counties, Iowa. In 1902 he came to Polk 
county, Minnesota, and bought tlie farm on which he 
now lives. It had been a grain farm and posses.sed 
only a small house and other inconsiderable build- 
ings in the way of improvements. He intended to 
operate it as a tenant farm, but not being able to 
rent it satisfactorily he located on it himself in the 
spring of 1903. The land was in a foul condition, 
with many varieties of weeds greatly injuring the 
grain it produced. He paid $35 an acre for it, and 
he now determined to himself develop his purchase 
into a first-rate investment. 

For four or five years he devoted his energies to 
raising wheat, then began the raising of live stock, 
corn and potatoes. He put fifty acres in corn and 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



271 



more in hay, timothy, clover and alfalfa, these being 
now among his principal crops. He also handles a 
great deal of yoniig live stock and milks ten cows 
to supply an active dairy trade. In 1912 he erected 
a new eleven-room dwelling house, with full base- 
ment and installed an acetylene gas lighting plant. 
He has two barns having stabling for all stock. One 
of these was built in 1915, being erected as a special 
horse barn. 

The difiSculties which confronted Mr. Perry at the 
beginning have been removed by enterprise and de- 
termined industry. He has eliminated tlie noxious 
weeds and now raises excellent crops. In 1914 the 
yield per acre was 50 bushels of com, 20 bushels of 
wheat, 45 of oats and 20 of flax, and in 1915 his 
grain crops aggi'egated some 15,000 bushels. 

Mr. Perry has spared no effort to make his farm 
productive and valuable. He has dug open ditches 



through the fields and arranged to drain all pond 
holes. He has excellent facilities for tiling and a 
good outlet. He has also taken an active part in 
the affaire of the township, and during the last ten 
years has been either supervisor or township clerk. 
He was first married in Story county, Iowa, to Miss 
Laura Woodruff, who died in 1907, leaving five chil- 
dren, Clifford, Hazel, Clarence, Charles and Laura. 
His second marriage was with Miss Lena Grodal, a 
native of Norway. They have no children. Mr. 
Perry belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church. 
The present Mrs. Perry belongs to the Andover- 
Fairfax Ladies' club. The latter is a social organ- 
ization which does a great deal to mitigate the lone- 
liness of farm life and furnish entertainment for its 
members, who are some twenty-five of the leading 
ladies of the two townships whose names it bears. 



REVEREND WILLIAM KLINKHAMMER. 



Reverend William Klinkhammer, pastor of the 
Sacred Heart Catholic church at East Grand Forks, is 
a native of Minnesota, born in Le Sueur county, April 
21, 1879, the son of Peter and Louise (Wilt) Klink- 
hammer, who were natives of Germany. Peter Klink- 
hammer came to the United States as a child and to 
Minnesota in 1852 and as a pioneer settler of Le Sueur 
county, was identified with the hardships and priva- 
tions of the early days and all the activities attending 
the organization and development of the prosperous 
farming community. In the troublous times of 1S62 
the mother suffered the loss of friends and relatives 
in the Sioux massacre and he gave sei-viee himself, in 
a Minnesota regiment, in the quelling of the uprising 
and was a member of the guard in charge of the thirty- 
eight Sioux braves at Mankato. His influence was 
prominent in the organization of the St. Johns Cath- 
olic church in his home county and in all matters of 
public welfare. He was elected to various offices of 
local importance and gave able seiwice as a county 
commissioner. He is still living on tiie old homestead. 



William Klinkhammer was reared on his father's farm 
and educated in St. Johns University, the leading 
Catholic school of Minnesota, where he was ordained 
in June, 1908, by Bishop Trobec of St. Cloud. His 
first pastorate was at Park Rapids, Minnesota, where 
he remained for three years, during which time the 
present church building was erected, and the parish 
well organized for efficient service. In July, 1911, he 
was transferred to the Sacred Heart Parish where his 
admirable ministrations have proven him amply quali- 
fied to advance the work of tliat ah'eady splendidly 
equipped organization. The Sacred Heart Parish was 
organized in 1893 by the Catholics of East Grand 
Forks and the surrounding territory and from its first 
establishment evidenced the vital and worthy activity 
which has marked its rapid growth. The loss of the 
newly finished church building, which was erected 
through the zealous efforts of the members, by fire in 
1895 only resulted in a renewed strength of purpose 
and from the ashes of the first structure, rose a larger 
and finer building. The first pastor was Father Hend- 



272 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



ricks, who was succeeded in 1900 by Father J. F. 
Greene, who served the parish until his death in Feb- 
ruary, 1909. It was during this periotl that the pres- 
ent pai-soiiage was built at an expenditure of $8,000 
and the furnishing of the chui'ch completed. After 
the death of Father Green, Father J. Hogan was put 
in charge and under his administration the organiza- 
tion of the various interests of the church advanced 
notably, Father Kliiikhammer succeeded Father 
Hogan after the return of the latter to his former 
diocese of Duluth which had been divided in 1910 for 
the establishment of the see in Crookston. Father 
Klinkhammer combines a rarely genial and compan- 



ionable personality with a marked executive ability 
which has happily forwarded and consecrated labors 
of his life and resulted in the increased efficiency of 
the parish through the splendid parochial school which 
he instituted under the encouragement of Biahop Cor- 
bett of Crookston. The finely equipped school building 
was finished in September, 1912, and put in charge of 
seven teachers who are Sisters of St. Benedict from 
Villa Sancta Scholastica, Duluth. The school now 
enrolls two hundred pupils and furnishes an excellent 
curriculum of preparatory studies for the high school. 
The membership of the Sacred Heart church numbers 
some fourteen hundred souls. 



HON. TIMOTHY A. SULLIVAN. 



Hon. Timothy A. Sullivan, well known real estate 
man of East Grand Forks and eminent citizen of 
Polk county has been most prominently identified 
^yith the progress and development of northern Min- 
nesota in the many interests of his career as business 
man and public spirited citizen and official. He was 
bom at Ferguson Falls, Ontario, August 18, 1864, 
the son of Timothy and Honoria (Enright) Sullivan, 
who were also natives of Canada. The former was 
born in County Lanark, Ontario, in 1829 and is one 
of the honored pioneers of Polk county, having been 
a leader among that notable band of men who by 
stalwart industry and enterprise laid the foundation 
for present prosperity. He came to Polk county in 
the fall of 1877 and located on land, two and a half 
miles northeast of East Grand Forks and also secured 
claims for four of his children, James T., who still 
resides on his farm; Michael, now living in East 
Grand Forks; Mary, who became the wife of James 
Mclh-ath and whose death occurred some years ago, 
and Catherine, who married Edwai-d Kennedy and 
lives at Houston, Texas. All of this land was located 
in the district, which upon its orgnization as a town- 
ship, received the name of Sullivan in recognition of 
the worthy services of its pioneer. His influence was 
ever directed to advancement of the countrv and he 



was the first to insist upon the urgency of good roads, 
buying a road grader and making the first graded 
roads in Polk county. He was elected to various 
local offices and as chairman of the board of 
county commissioners gave able service for a num- 
ber of years. The business interests of his career 
were devoted to his farm of four hundred and 
eighty acres which he developed into one of the fine 
properties of the county and part of which he later 
gave to his sons, Timothy A. Sullivan and Edward 
J. Sullivan. In 1889 he retired and removed to East 
Grand Forks, where he is now residing, in his eighty- 
seventh year. The death of his wife occun-ed in 
1906, at the age of seventy-six. ilr. Sullivan has 
always been an active woi'ker in the political field 
and a zealous supporter of the Democratic party. 
He is a member of the Catholic church and was a 
communicant in St. Michaels church at Grand Forks 
until 1893 when he became a member of the congre- 
gation of the Sacred Heart parisli at East Grand 
Forks. Of his family of seven children, all reside in 
Polk county, with the exception of Catherine, and 
Anna, who married C. L. Cumings and lives at Great 
Falls, Montana. Timothy A. Sullivan was a lad of 
thirteen years when he accompanied the family in 
their removal to Jliunesota and since that he has been 



COMPENDIUM OP HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



273 



allied in all the attainments and ambitious accom- 
plishments of his successful career with the activities 
of this section, worthily discharging the responsi- 
bilities of citizenship as exampled in the life of his 
senior. He received his early education in the schools 
of East Grand Forks and later matriculated in the 
State University of North Dakota. In 1891 in part- 
nership with his brother, Edward J. Sullivan, he 
entered the real estate and loan business in East 
Grand Forks. The active management of the business 
has always been directed by T. A. Sullivan and the 
firm of Sullivan Brothers is widely known as one of 
the most important and extensive operators in this 
field in northern Minnesota, their loans in the Red 
River valley having aggregated some two millions of 
dollsirs. They are also writers of insurance. Mr. 
Sullivan's real estate investments include farming 
lands in the far famed Red River valley and large 
interests in East Grand Forks, including several busi- 
ness buildings and a forty acre tract, known as the 
Lake Park addition, located in the most desirable 
residence part of the city and about half of which 
has already been transferred to private property 



owners. The same competent management and honest 
dealing that have marked his business enterprises have 
combined with an aggressive zeal for the public wel- 
fare and progress, to render his sei'vices in public 
affairs of signal foi-ce and prominence. In 1893 he 
was called to ofiScial position by the election to the 
office of mayor, on the reform ticket. After holding 
this position for two terms, in 1895, he was appointed 
by Governor Clough judge of the municipal court 
and was retained in that capacity by the voters for 
seventeen years. He has also held many other offices, 
his effective services marking him as a leader in aU 
matters of public progress and in the political arena, 
where he is a staunch upholder of the I^epublican 
party, being an active worker in conventions as a 
member of the County Republican committee. He was 
also a member of the State Central committee, during 
the candidacy of Hans Jacobson for the gubernatorial 
election. Mr. Sullivan was married at Hastings, 
Minnesota, September, 1894, to Maiy A. Shilling and 
they have five children, Linus, who is a student in 
the high school of East Grand Forks, Louis, Mary, 
Angela and i\Iadonna. 



JAMES MULLALLY. 



James Mullally, of East Grand Forks, a retired 
railroad man and pioneer citizen, was actively asso- 
ciated with the development of Polk county, in the 
early days of railroad construction and was emploj^ed 
on the Great Northern road, in the vicinity of Grand 
Forks for almost twenty-six years. He is a native of 
Ireland, bom in County Tipperary, July 22, 1836, 
and when four years of age was brought to Lanark 
county, Ontario. After reaching manhood he 
engaged in farming and in railroad woi'k and had 
spent some nine years in tlie latter employment 
before coming to Polk county. On May 15, 1879, 
accompanied by his wife and their family of nine 
children, he removed to Grand Forks, where he made 
his home for a year, meanwhile buying a farm and 
taking a homestead claim in Nesbit township, about 



eight miles east of East Grand Forks. In January, 
1880, he entered the employ of the Great Northern 
railroad and. for a short time worked on the con- 
struction of the side tracks at Grand Forks, his 
experience and ability soon winning him the position 
of foreman over a crew of twenty men and in the 
following year lie removed to East Grand Forks. 
The tracks from Fisher to the Red river had been 
completed and in February, 1881, after the erection 
of a temporary bridge, the first engine crossed the 
river. The crew on this historical trip were, John 
Burton, engineer, Peter Engles, fireman, Tom Stahl, 
conductor, with John Burnett and Peter Nolan, 
brakemen. After the completion of the main road 
to the river, Mr. Mullally was made foreman of a 
section running east of Grand Forks for six miles 



274 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



and often during the first years, personally dis- 
charged all the work on his section, which until the 
laying of new iron, required much cutting and patch- 
ing of the track. During the summer months he was 
in charge of extra gangs of workmen, constructing 
the side tracks at various stations. He retired Sep- 
tember 9, 1897, after twenty-six years as a successful 
workman and efficient employee of Jas. J. Hill, the 
empire builder of the northwest. During these years 
he had thriftily availed himself of the privileges of 
the Employees Investment Company, Limited, which 
received monthly payments from the road's employees 
until a total deposit of $5,000 had been made and 
paid seven percent interest on the savings, and had 
also erected a pleasant home in East Grand Forks, 
where he is a well known and highly respected citizen. 
He was married to Euphemia May, on June 2, 1859, 
and thirteen children were boni to them, of whom 
ten are now living. Thomas MuUally, a railroad 
bridge carpenter, died in Van Couver and one daugh- 
ter, Mary, died in her eleventh year in Ontario. The 



surviving children are, Sai'ah, the wife of George 
Shannon, of Grand Forks; Daniel and Isabel, who 
ai"e twins, the fonner, a locomotive engineer on the 
Great Northern road, residing at Grafton, North 
Dakota ; and his sister, the wife of Morgan Curran, 
of Grand Forks, also an engineer on the Great 
Northern ; John, of Grand Forks, and James, of 
Staples, Minnesota, both railroad engineers, the latter 
on the Northern Pacific route; Alice, the wife of 
Hany McNichol, the Northern Pacific station agent 
at Grand Forks, and a fonner teacher in the I'olk 
county schools as is also her sister. Alberta, who 
married Gute Purcell, associated with Timothy Sulli- 
van in the real estate and loan business; William and 
Edward, residents of East Grand Forks, and Lillie, 
wlio lives at Mandan, North Dakota, the wife of Otto 
Wurdemau, an employee of the Northeni Pacific rail- 
road. ]Mr. Mullally was one of the original membere 
of the Sacred Heart Catholic church and is devoted 
to all its interests. 



EDWARD A. BUCKLEY. 



Edward A. Buckley, postmaster at East Grand 
Forks and well known citizen, is a native of Minne- 
sota, born at Compton, Ottertail county, July 5, 
1886. His father, Hugh Buckley, w^as born at 
Chatham, New Brunswick, and was married in Maine 
to Catherine Moore, a native of Ireland. In 1870 
they came to Minnesota and settled on a homestead 
in Ottertail couut.y, where as a pioneer citizen, 
Mr. Buckley became prominently associated with 
public interests and was active in the organization of 
the township in which he lived. His death occurred 
on the old homestead in his sixty-third year. His 
wife survives him, making her home in East Grand 
Forks, where several of her children reside. Edward 
A. Buckley was reared on the farm and was seventeen 
years of age when the family removed to East Grand 
Forks, soon after the death of the father. He 
engaged in various employments, working in a mill 



and with his brother, William J. Buckley, until 1906 
when he secured the position of bookkeeper in the 
First State bank and for some six years, maintained 
most propitious relations with that institution, his 
ability being recognized with the promotion to the 
position of teller. During this period he spent 
.several months in California, again taking up his 
work in the bank upon his return. In 1914 he 
received the commission to his present ofRce, an 
appointment w-hich received the hearty commenda- 
tion of his fellow citizens and which has been justified 
by the splendid efficiency of his services. Mr. Buck- 
ley is a Democrat in political allegiance but party 
lines do not define his many friends and supporters 
in his home town. He is a communicant of the 
Sacred Heart Catholic cluirch and in fraternal orders 
is affiliated with the Knights of Columbus and the 
Modern Woodmen of America. He was married 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



275 



August 15, 1914, to Anna Butler of Fargo, North 
Dakota. Mr. Buckley is a follower of the pleasures 
of the out-of-door sports and devotes his vacations to 
hunting, the sport so naturally favored by the sons 
of Minnesota. The postoffice at East Grand Forks 
reflects the prosperity of the region and was 
advanced a few years ago to a second class office. Its 
rapidly increasing business requires the services of 
three clerks and an assistant postmaster, which later 
position is capably filled by Miss Theresa Thoreson, 
who held the same office for eight years under her 



father, 0. A. Thoreson, the immediate predecessor of 
Mr. Buckley. The office maintains four rural routes, 
serving the localities of Northland, Davidson, Byg- 
land, and Key West, where all local offices have been 
discontinued. Other well known citizens who have 
been identified with interests of the office as post- 
master, previous to the administration of Mr. Buck- 
ley, are, W. C. Nash, J. R. Johnson, who served for 
eight years and 0. A. Thoreson, whose re-appoint- 
ments to the position total twelve years of occupancy. 



AARON BROWN. 



Aaron Brown, city treasurer of East Grand Forks 
and formerly a prominent building contractor of that 
place, has been a resident of Polk county since 1881, 
when he located in Fisher, then in the first days of 
its settlement. He is a native of Canada, born in 
County Dundass, Ontario, September 8, 1830, and 
until his removal to Polk county, made his home in 
his native land, employed as a stone cutter and brick 
layer. In 1881, the business district of Fisher con- 
sisted of a store and postoffice and two or three 
saloons, but other enterprises were under way and 
Mr. Brown engaged in the construction of an engine 
house for the elevator, which was being erected by 
Thompson and DeMere. He left Fisher after two 
years for East Grand Forks, where he has since 
resided. In the same year of his removal, 1883, he 
spent some time on the Indian reservation at Fort 
Totten, Devils Lake, North Dakota, employed by 
Major Cranby, the agent, in the building of the 
mission schools. In East Grand Forks, one of his 
first contracts was with Budge & Eshelman for the 
erection of the Syndicate block, one of the first brick 
edifices in the town and which is still standing. Sub- 
sequently, in his capacity as one of the most success- 
ful eontractoi-s of that region, he was identified with 
all the important building enterprises of the locality 
and continued his business operations for a number 
of years, retiring in 1905. Aside from his many 



private interests, he has ever acknowledged the 
responsibilities of good citizenship and has devoted 
his talent and ability to the promotion of the general 
welfare and has been honored by his fellow citizens 
with various offices of public trust. He is a member 
of the Republican party but in local politics, places 
the best interests of the community above the restrict- 
ing bounds of party lines. He has given capable 
service as mayor for three years and has also served 
as alderman and justice of peace. In 1913 he was 
elected city treasurer and in this office, is in charge 
of the city funds of $32,000 annually. Mr. Brown is 
devoted to his home and enjoys all the interests of 
his own fireside and garden plot with the keen zest of 
the man who finds his greatest recreation in the 
cultivation of those interests. Of a personality, quiet 
but forceful, with his career marked by able accom- 
plishment as business man and citizen, he enjoys the 
esteem of his many associates, most particularly 
among the substantial pioneer citizens, and has entex'- 
tained a friendship of many years with Judge Watts. 
He was married in Canada, in 1862, January 1st, to 
Helen M. Henry, who is a native of Scotland and 
several years have passed since the celebration of the 
fiftieth anniversary of their union. Twelve children 
were born to them, three of whom are dead. The 
surviving membere of the family are, Ellen, who 
married William Benson, of East Grand Forks; 



276 



COMPExXDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



George, living at tlie same place; Agnes ; the wife of 
George Coulter, of Bemidji, Minnesota; James, who 
is a piano dealer; Libbie, the wife of Freeman L. 
Corliss, a contractor in East Grand Forks; Christie 
and Mai-y who are both married and at present resid- 
ing on homesteads in Canada ; ]\Iargaret, who married 



Arthur Yickeiy and lives in East Grand Forks, and 
Robert J., who resides in East Grand Forks. Mr. 
Brown is a member of the Presbyterian church, iu 
the organization of which he was influential and has 
continued to loyally sen'e its interests as an elder. 



SAM T. EVANSON. 



Sam T. Evanson, a prosperous farmer of King 
township, came to Polk county in 1894 and has since 
devoted his interests to the affairs of this community 
as citizen and farmer. He was born in Dane county, 
Wisconsin, June 25, 1858, and in early diildhood 
accompanied his family to Goodhue county, Minne- 
sota, where his father took a preemption claim and 
resided until his death. Sam Evanson remained in 
the parental home until twenty-one years of age and 
then availed himself of the homesteader's privilege 
in Trail county. North Dakota. Here he took an 
active part in the organization of the pioneer com- 
munity, faithfully performing the duties of citizen- 
ship in the establishment of township and county. 
During the years of his residence there, he gave his 
attention to his agricultural interests and developed 
his land into a productive farming property, which 
he later sold for $25 an acre. On removing to Polk 
county, he bought the former homestead of Ole Quale, 
in section twenty-four of King township, two and 
one-half miles east of Mcintosh, and this has since 
been his home. He also was the owner of another 
quarter section of Polk county land which, after 
improving it for cultivation, he sold in 1914. His 
home farm has developed under his able management 
into one of the prosperous estates of the section. 



Upon coming into his possession, but thirty-five acres 
had been cleared and the usual log buildings of the 
settlers, occupied the place. The clearing of the 
remainder of the land which was covered with brush 
presented years of arduous labor. He has now one 
liundred acres under cultivation and has equipped 
his property witli buildings of modern convenience 
and appearance. In his agricultural operations, he 
has given his efforts to the various farming enter- 
prises and is a patron of the co-operative creamery, 
keeping a herd of twelve cows. Mr. Evanson was 
married, in Polk county, in 1895, to Lena Bagstad, of 
North Dakota. She was a native of Norway and had 
come with her pai'cnts, as a young eirl, to her home 
in North Dakota. Her death occurred April 11, 1912. 
Their only child, Ilenrj^ died at the age of sixteen. 
Mr. Evan.son survives with the two nieces of his wife, 
Clara Brovold and Sena Brovold, who since their 
entrance into the Evanson household in their child- 
hood, have been reared as daughters of the home. 
Clara Brovold is the home maker for Mr. Evanson 
and Sena Brovold is the wife of Odwin Johnson, 
residing on a farm two miles distant, in Brandsvold 
township. Mr. Evanson is a trustee in the Synod 
Lutheran church, where he and his family have 
always been devoted members. 



HANS OLUS ROSAAEN. 

Extensively engaged in the lumber trade and bank- important factor in the mercantile and financial life 

ing for a number of years, with centers of business of Polk coiinty and one of its most useful and enter- 

at several different places, the late Hans Olus prising citizens in connection witli its public affairs 

Rosaaen, whose life ended on July 9, 1904, was an and governmental activities in a variety of ways. 





-rT^^^S^^^^a 




": 


^^^^^^■B^B^j^T^^^^I 


J 




1 



Jd^(D^a,yL<:c^<y^..^^ry^ 



r ' 



COMPENDIUM OP HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



277 



He was born at Stavanger, Norway, February 19, 
1860, which was also the native place of his parents, 
Ole and Gunhild (Sebby) Rosaaen, who came to the 
United States in 1861 and settled near Sheldon, in 
Houston county, Minnesota. 

The father took up a homestead, and in his time 
improved 480 acres of wild land. He died in 1871. 
The mother was 89 when her death occurred in 191-1. 
They wei'e the parents of five sons and three daugh- 
ters. During the Indian uprising of 1862 they had 
some very exciting experiences and narrow escapes 
from the brutality of the savages. Their son Hans 
was reared to the age of 19 in Houston county, and in 
1879, accompanied by his broMier James, came to Polk 
county and found employment in a lumber yard at 
Hillsboro, where he worked for one year. Afterward 
he bought a lumber yard at Pisher, making the pur- 
chase of a Mr. Mallery, and later owned other yards 
at Halstad, Shelly, Nielsville, Climax and Crookston, 
to all of which he gave close personal attention. 

After confining his energies to the management of 
his lumber business for a number of years he and 
his brother James founded the Citizens' Bank at 
Fisher, of which he was president until his death. In 
addition he carried on a general loan and real estate 



business. He was married on May 8, 1889, to Miss 
Maggie Hansen, a daughter of Christopher and Marion 
(Hansen) Hansen, who came to Polk county in 1874 
and took up their residence three miles west of Crooks- 
ton, journeying to this county direct from their native 
land of Norway. The father served as county com- 
missioner and also as township clerk, and both he 
and his wife died here. 

Mr. and Mrs. Rosaaen became the parents of five 
children, Clarence, Mabel (now Mrs. W. E. Peter- 
son), Orrin R., Hugh and Arnold. The father was a 
Republican in political faith and allegiance and a 
member of the Methodist Episcopal church in re- 
ligious connection. His widow and children now live 
in Crookston, where they are universally esteemed. 
Mrs. Rosaaen 's parents were pioneers, and she and 
her mother were left alone on the homestead, which 
was in the wilderness and among the Indians, while 
the father worked at Grand Forks, 30 miles distant, 
to support them, and made his trips to and from that 
place on foot. Indians often came to the cabin and 
ate all the food in it, and sometimes remained over 
night, harming nothing, however, but the larder and 
the garden, which they always left empty. 



CHARLES Mccarty. 



Charles McCarty, a prominent farmer of King 
township and well known citizen of the county, has 
given able service as township clerk for twenty years 
and has ever maintained an active cooperation with 
the public affairs of this section. He was bom in 
Vermont, at Northfield, June 4, 1856, but has been a 
resident of Minnesota since infancy, the family 
having located in Scott county in 1857. His father, 
F. McCarty, was a native of Ireland and became a 
homesteader in Scott county, where he lived some 
fifteen years and then removed to Stearns county. 
Here he again took up the labors of the pioneer 
fanner and gave his attention to the development 
and cultivation of his land until his death in his 



seventieth year. Charles McCarty left the paternal 
home as a lad of sixteen to seek his own fortunes and 
found employment as a farm laborer. In 1882 he 
came to Red Lake Falls, then in Polk county and 
worked there until the reopening of the Thirteen 
Towns for settlement, in 1883, when he filed a claim 
and secured the land which has since been his home, 
two miles west of Mcintosh, in .section twenty-three 
of King township. He erected a claim shanty and 
the first years witnessed the slow progress and 
laborious task of clearing the land, during which 
time he worked in the harvest field to finance his 
enterprise. The present prosperous farm attests to 
the capable management and ambitious industry 



278 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



which have marked his career. Beside the original 
homestead he also operates an eighty acre tract about 
one mile distant. All phases of his farming activities 
have been brought to a high standard of efficiency 
and he engages extensively in dairy and stock farm- 
ing, breeding Short Horn cattle, which he regards as 
the most profitable double purpose stock. He has put 
all the land under cultivation and has erected good 
barns and a pleasant home, which is surrounded by 
the equally attractive and protective grove which he 
set out over twenty-five years ago. His improvements 
on the farm have included some drainage. Since the 
first meeting held for organization of the township, 
Mr. McCarty has displayed an active interest in the 
welfare and progress of the community. On that 
historic occasion, Ephriam King, an honored pioneer 
was elected township clerk and the township became 
formally known by his name. Mr. King and his four 
sons, Ephriam, John, Paul and Peter, had been early 
settlers in the northern part of the township and 
were prominent in early affairs. Mr. McCarty has 
been honored with a number of offices of public trust, 
the commendation of his worthy services having kept 
him in the office of township clerk for twenty' yeara. 
He has also served as assessor and chairman of the 



township board. In 1896 he was elected county com- 
missioner and continued in that capacity for eight 
years. He was prominently associated with the short 
history of Columbia county, being appointed auditor 
for tlie new county by the commissioners and serving 
during the five months of its existence, when lie 
resumed his interrupted duties as commissioner of 
Polk county. Of later years he has not been a 
candidate for county office, preferring to give his 
attention to local responsibilities. Aside from his 
official service, he has ever given his influence and 
support in all matters of public enterprise and is a 
stockholder in all the cooperative business activities 
of tlie community, including the creamery, elevator 
and stock shipping association. His marriage to 
Georgia Halvorson, a native of Meeker county, Minne- 
sota, occurred in 1885, in Ci'ookston and they have 
the following children, Fred, Mae, Frank, Ruby, Flor- 
ence Leona. Mr. ilcCarty and his family are members 
of the Congregational church at Mcintosh. In frater- 
nal circles, Mr. McCarty has been a member of the 
Independent Order of Odd Fellows for many years, 
during which he has occupied all the chairs and has 
been a representative to Grand Lodge. 



ANDERSON BROTHERS. 



Succeeding to a farming and .stock raising industry 
which their father started and conducted with enter- 
prise and profit, Andrew and Arnold W. Anderson, 
live on and cultivate the northeast quarter of Section 
33, in Andover township, this county. 

Andrew was born in Wabasha county, Minnesota, 
on February 21, 1872, and Arnold W. in Wabasha 
connty, Minnesota, on April 18, 1880. They are the 
sons of Andrew and Sarah (Bordahl) Anderson, 
natives of Norway. The father emigrated to the 
United States in 1863 and located at Reed's Landing 
on the Mississippi river, in Wabasha county, Minne- 
sota. He was a carpenter by trade and built boats 
for use on the river and also put up houses for 



dwellings and other purposes, many of which are still 
standing. He was married in Wabasha county to 
Miss Sarah Bordahl, and in 1881 they came to Polk 
county, where the father purchased of the railroad 
company the land on which the sons now live, paying 
$6 an acre for it with a rebate. 

In 1881 the family settled on the farm and the 
father began to clear and cultivate it. He also worked 
at his trade, building houses and doing other carpen- 
ter work for his neighbors. He took an active part in 
the public affairs of his township, serving on the board 
of supervisors for a number of years. His death 
occurred on his farm in 1903, March 17, when he was 
about sixty-seven years old, and the mother died there 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



279 



on November 13, 1909. He put up good buildings on 
the farm, but the house burned down later, and the 
present dwelling was erected by the sons soon after- 
ward. 

When the parents took up their residence on this 
land in 1881 they were farther out on the prairie than 
any other residents. There were no roads to the place 



and for several years the crops were light. But the 
father persevered, got all his tract under cultivation 
and then bought another quarter section in Section 32. 
This was an old homestead and he paid $1,200 for it. 
Of the children born to him and his wife three are 
living: Julia, who is the wife of Ole Volland, of 
Andover township, and the two sons. 



CARL A. GRONBERG. 



Taking an earnest and intelligent interest in the 
affairs of his locality, in mercantile, governmental and 
agricultural circles, and exhibiting progressiveness 
and public spirit of a very commendable character in 
connection with them all, Cai'l A. Gronberg, one of 
the enterprising and successful farmere of Vineland 
township, this county, is proving himself to be a very 
forceful factor in the life of his township and a useful 
and estimable citizen of the county in every particular. 

Mr. Gronberg is a native of Vineland township and 
has passed his life to the present time (1916) on the 
farm on which he is now residing. His life began 
May 20, 1882, and he is a son of Andrew and Mary 
Gronberg, who were bom in Norway and came to the 
United States in the early summer of 1882. Three 
years later they located on Section 32, Vineland town- 
ship, where the father came into possession of 160 



acres of land. He passed the remainder of his years 
on this land, dying on the farm in the spring of 1904, 
when he was fifty-four years old. The mother is still 
living. They became the parents of six children, John, 
Carl, Olaf, Marten, Inga and Emma, all of whom are 
living. Inga is now the wife of Andrew Dale. 

Carl A. Gronberg was reared on the farm on which 
he now lives, and on which he has labored from his 
boyhood. He obtained a common school education, 
and since leaving school has been continuously 
engaged in farming, and cultivating now 200 acres of 
fruitful and valuable land. He has been a justice of 
the peace for a number of years and has also rendered 
the public good service as road overseer for Vineland 
township. In addition he is president of the Climax 
Co-operative Mercantile company. 



HON. REUBEN REYNOLDS. 



The Honorable Reuben Reynolds formerly a judge 
in this Court died at his home in the City of Crookston 
on the eighth day of March, A. D., 1889. Judge 
Reynolds was bom at Covington, Genesee county. 
New York, on the 25th day of April A. D., 1821. He 
early removed to Michigan and came to the Territory 
of Minnesota in the year 1835, since which time he has 
held the offices of Judge of Probate Court, Clerk of 
District Court, Receiver of United States Land Office 
and Judge of District Court in this State. 

On the 23rd day of March, 1889, at a fully attended 
meeting of the bar of Polk county, Minnesota, a 



Memorial Resolution was adopted and William Watts 
was instructed to present the Memorial to this District 
Court. 

MEMORIAL. 

We, the Members of the Bar of Polk County in the 
State of Minnesota deem it appropriate that we should 
place upon the record an expression of our sense of 
the great loss to our State and to our profession caused 
by the death of Hon. Reuben Reynolds, a former 
Judge of this Court which occurred on the eighth day 
of this month after a long and painful illness. 

He practiced his profession in our midst from the 



280 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



time Court was first established in this County until 
his elevation to the Bench in March, 1885. He was 
really a remarkable man, endowed with great strength 
and clearness of judgment, close application, and a 
fluent, earnest and forcible speech. Though he did 
not begin legal study until past the meridian of life, 
he excelled in all branches of the profession of the 
Law and stood foremost at the Bar in this part of the 
State. 

The same qualities made him one of the most 
effective public speakers, and he was ever ready to 
give his time and talents to the promotion of morality 
and temperance and the advancement of projects and 
principles that he deemed to be for the public weal. 

By his natural endowments and attainments he was 
peculiarly fi.tted for judicial life. His learning and 
ability were quickened by strong sense of justice and 



a deep love for the equity of the Law, and his essen- 
tially kind nature made him courteous to all. 

In his death our profession has lost one of its 
brightest ornaments, the community a useful and up- 
right citizen and his family a devoted husband and 
father. We deeply mourn his loss and extend our 
.sincere sympathy to his family in their bereavement. 

We respectfully request the Court to direct that 
this expression of our respect for our departed brother 
be entered upon its records with such other proceed- 
ings as may be had in connection therewith, and that 
a copy thereof be transmitted to his family. 

Addresses were then made by Wm. Watts, H. 
Steenerson, and P. C. Schmidt of the bar and by Hon. 
Judge Mills. By Order of the Court the memorial 
was entered upon its records and out of respect for 
tlie memory of Judge Reynolds, Court was adjourned. 



W. S. BREKKE. 



One of the enterprising and progressive farmers, 
extensive and successful potato growers and accom- 
plished musicians of Polk county, W. S. Brekke, whose 
attractive farm is located in Section 30, Hubbard 
township, is a useful resident of the northwest in 
many ways, and is esteemed in accordance with his 
usefulness and genuine merit as a farmer, a man and 
a citizen. He takes an earnest interest and a helpful 
part in everything that seems likely to promote the 
welfare of his township and the county generally, and 
can always be depended on for assistance in any 
worthy undertaking in this line. 

Mr. Brekke is a native of Norway, where his life 
began April 3, 1873, but he has lived in this county 
since he was nine years old. He is a son of Saave and 
Gunield (Gunhild) Brekke, also Norwegians by 
nativity, and the first bom of their ten children. In 
1882 the parents brought their family to the United 
States and found a new home in Hubbard township, 
this county, where the father bought 160 acres of land. 
He was a blacksmith but continued to reside on his 
fann and cultivate it until his death on March 17, 



1912, at the age of nearly sixty-seven years. The 
mother passed away November 21, 1915, aged seventy 
years. 

From the time of his arrival in the county until 
now W. S. Brekke has had his home on the fann 
purchased by his father in 1882, and which he pur- 
chased in 1905, but he has enlarged it to 280 acres and 
greatly improved it with good buildings, abundant 
fences and other necessaries, and made it highly pro- 
ductive by skilful farming. He makes a specialty of 
raising potatoes on an extensive scale, his crop in 1914 
aggregating 18,600 bushels, which he raised on about 
125 acres of land. Since January, 1907, he has also 
been one of the rural mail carries in this section and 
covers in his route about twenty-four miles a day with 
a machine. 

Mr. Brekke has given a great deal of attention to 
the cultivation of his natural talent for music, having 
been a close student and an industrious practitioner of 
musical science and having pursued a course of special 
training at the Northwestern Conservatory of Music 
in Minneapolis. After leaving the conservatory of 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



281 



music at Minneapolis he has been a pupil a long time 
of the world's famous violinist and teacher, Maximil- 
lian Deck. He was married in Hubbard township, 
this county, February 3, 1904, to Miss Clara Hanson, 



a daughter of Christian and Tilda Hanson. They 
have four children, Viola, Eleanore, Cardiff and 
Spencer. 



BRNT M. BENNES. 



The whole of the life of this estimable citizen of 
Polk county to the present time has been passed iu 
cultivating the soil and raising live stock, and l)y strict 
attention to his business and industry and good judg- 
ment in conducting it he has been very successful iu 
it, making substantial gains for himself and con- 
tributing essentially to the improvement of the 
country around him. He has taken an earnest interest 
and an active part in the public affairs of his township 
and illustrated the ))est qualities of its citizenship in 
his own record of success in his business and useful 
service. 

Mr. Bennes was born in Norway October 18, 1859, 
and lived in that country until he reached the age of 
nearly twenty years, working on his father's farm 
and obtaining his education there. In July, 1879, he 
emigrated to the United States, landing at Philadel- 
phia and coming at once to Brown county, Minnesota. 
In that county he worked out at farm labor until 
June, 1880, then came to Polk county and took up a 
claim of 160 acres in Garden township, where he lived 
until 1900. In that year he moved to Section 11, Gar- 
field township, iu which he owns 166 acres, well 
improved with good buildings and iu an advanced 
state of cultivation, on which he has made his home 



ever since, having sold his Garden township farm. He 
also owns 145 acres in Clearwater county. 

Mr. Bennes was married October 13, 1900, to Mrs. 
Margaret H. (Messeth) Solheim, who was boi'n in 
Norway February 7, 1867, and was the widow of 
Andrus 0. Solheim, who died in 1897. The late 
Thomas Messeth was her brother. By her first mar- 
riage she became the mother of two children, Selma 
and Aleda. She and her present husband are the 
parents of five children, four of whom are living, 
Melvin, Henry, Edwin and Ivel. Their only daughter, 
Ida, died when she was five years old. The parents 
are members of the United Lutheran church and 
actively interested in all the undertakings of the 
congregation in which they hold their membership. 

Mr. Bennes' business has been general farming in 
the main, but he lias for some years given a good deal 
of attention to raising sheep of superior strains, the 
Shropshire breed being his favorite product. In this 
department of his industry, as well as in his general 
farming operations, he is studious and careful and his 
success is pronounced. By means of it he has also 
contributed essentially to the improvement of the 
standard of live stock in his own township and others. 



HANS H. BANGEN. 



For nearly half a century a resident of Minnesota 

and for over forty years a forceful factor in the life 

of Polk county in several lines of serviceable activity, 

Hans H. Bangen, one of the zealous and successful 

farmers and energetic spirits of Vineland township, 

who is now, however, living retired from active labor, 

has been a very useful citizen of his adopted land. 
18 



repaying it with interest in his elevated manhood and 
good work for liLs community for the opportunities 
for advancement to consequence it has given him. 

Mr. Bangen is a native of Norway, where his life 
began December 24, 1838, and where he was reared 
and educated. In 1866 he emigrated to this country 
and took up his residence in Freeborn county, Minne- 



282 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



sota, where he lived seven years industriously and 
profitably engaged in farming. In July, 1873, he 
brought all the family he then had to Polk county, and 
in 1874 settled on the farm in Section 11, Vineland 
township, this county, on which he has lived contin- 
uously since that time. He first bought 160 acres, and 
to this he has added 100 acres by a subsequent pur- 
chase. He has also erected good buildings on the place 
and lias all of his land under cultivation. 

On May 30, 1870, Mr. Bangen was manned in Free- 
born county, Minnesota, to Miss Eline Thompson, who 
is also a native of Norway. They have had nine chil- 
dren, eight of whom are living, a daughter named 
Laura having died in infancy. The living children 
are : Mina S., who is the wife of John Saugstad ; 
Anton, who is now farming the home place; Marie, 
who is the wife of Peter Hauske; Clara, who is the 
wife of Helmer Estenson ; Thea, who is the wife of 
John Stubson; Laura, who is the wife of Olaf 
Stromsmo ; Theo, who married Miss Emma Berg, and 
Hebner, who is still living at home. 

Mr. Bangen has been chairman of the township 
board for a number of years, and has always taken an 



active part in the affairs of the township. He is a 
member of the Free Lutheran church, and he has led 
the singing in its religious services and been one of its 
most liberal and faithful supporters from the time 
when the church edifice was built. The members of 
his family also attend and support this church. 

Anton Bangen, the oldest son and second child of 
the household, is a resident of Vineland township and 
conducts the operations on his father's farm. He was 
bom in Freeborn county, Minnesota, March 22, 1873, 
and was brought by his parents to Polk county when 
he was about four months old. All of his subsequent 
life has been passed in this county and in Vineland 
township and the daughter of Hans II. Berg. They 
principal occupation. On December 27, 1913, he was 
married to Miss Sarah Berg, a native of Vineland 
township, and he has always followed farming as his 
have one child, their daughter Harriet E. Like his 
father, Mr. Bangen takes an earnest interest and an 
active part in the affairs of his township, and is 
regarded as one of its most useful and representative 
citizens. 



LEWIS E. FLINT. 



This gentleman, who is a resident of East Grand 
Forks, and who is passing his days and nights in use- 
ful service to mankind as a passenger conductor on 
the Northern Pacific Railroad, is exemplifying now 
the spirit of industry and abiding interest in the wel- 
fare of his fellow men that has characterized him in 
all previous periods of his manhood and every occupa- 
tion he has engaged in from his youth. He is a native 
of West Randolph, Vermont, where his life began May 
25, 1872, and a son of Joseph J. and Clara L. (Ford) 
Flint, also natives of Vermont. 

The parents came west in 1879 and located at 
Jamestown, North Dakota, whei-e the mother is still 
living and where the father passed the remainder of 
his life, which ended November 11, 1888. He was a 
contractor of prominence and success, and was well 



known and highly esteemed throughout the northwest. 
Two children were born in the family, Lewis E. and 
his older brother Harry C, both of whom came with 
their parents to this part of the country. Harry is 
still a resident of Jamestown, North Dakota. 

Lewis E. Flint obtained his education in the schools 
of Jamestown and for about three years after leaving 
school was employed as a clerk in a store in that city. 
At the end of that period he entered the employ of 
the Northern Pacific Railroad company as a brake- 
man, and three j'ears later he was raised to the posi- 
tion of conductor, in which capacity he has been 
rendering the railroad company and the general public 
good service ever since. 

Mr. Flint was married December 30, 1899, to Miss 
]\Iaude A. Bradford, who was born in Detroit, Michi- 













<1 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



283 



gan, March 16, 1880, and is a daughter of John G. and 
Matilda (Zemlin) Bradford, the former a native of 
London, England, and the latter of Berlin, Germany. 
Mrs. Flint's father has been in the employ of the 
Northern Pacific Railroad company since prior to 
1875, and is now its station agent at Staples, Minne- 



sota. Mr. and Mrs. Flint have three children, all sons, 
Hari-y L., Jerome E. and Charles B. The parents 
stand well in the estimation of the people of East 
Grand Forks and richly deserve the regard that is 
bestowed upon them wherever they are known. 



CHRIS EICKHOF. 



Having passed all the years of his mature life to the 
present time in carpenter work, contracting and build- 
ing, and thereby contributed to the growth and 
development of the several communities in which he 
has lived, Chris Eickliof, one of the esteemed resi- 
dents of Crookston, has been a useful citizen, making 
his time and energy tell to the advantage of the people 
around him as well as to his own benefit. He was bom 
near the great commercial city of Hamburg, German}', 
September 25, 1849, and lived in that country until 

1881, learning and working at his trade as a carpenter 
and builder. 

When he landed in New York in April, 1881, he 
came west at once and located at Red Wing, Minne- 
sota, where he remained about one year. In May, 

1882, he changed his residence to Crookston, and here 
he has ever since made his home and followed his 
chosen line of constructive work, building many houses 
of various kinds and for different purposes, all of 



which have aided in the expansion and improvement 
of the city and contributed in a substantial and endur- 
ing way to the comfort and general welfare of its 
residents. 

Mr. Eiekhof was married in Gei-many May 9, 1875, 
to Miss Johanna Dammaun, who was bora near Ham- 
burg, Germany, November 19, 1854. They have nine 
children living: Bertha E., who is the wife of J. W. 
Risch ; Hannah M., who is the wife of Gustaf Som- 
mers; Dora B., who is the wife of Arthur Zaiser; 
Flora W., who is the wife of J. Arthur Williams ; Otto 
J., who is associated with his father in business under 
the firm name of Eiekhof & Son; Anna S., who is a 
school teacher; Nettie G., who is living at home; 
Frances E., who also is teaching school, and William 
C, who is stiU under the parental roof tree. All the 
membera of the family are persons of worth and are 
esteemed as such. 



JOSEPH 0. SARGENT. 



Joseph O. Sargent, of Crookston, a well-kno-wn pio- 
neer of the State, was born May 26, 1846, in Rock 
county, Wisconsin, the son of Zeblin L. and Louisa 
(Young) Sargent, and is a member of a family that 
has been identified with the history of the building of 
the nation as sturdy pioneers and in notable military 
service and is himself one in the fast dwindling ranks 
of the Grand Army of the Republic that so valiantly 
defended the Union in its great crisis. His maternal 
grandfather, Simon Young, was a soldier in the War 
of 1812 and was wounded and became a pensioner 



of that war. Zeblin Sargent was a native of Penob- 
scot county, Maine, born at Exeter in 1818, and in 
1839 began his journey into the western frontier 
countiy, living for several years in Illinois, and in 
1844 removed to the territory of Wisconsin, where he 
spent ten yeare. In 1854 he went to Cannon Falls, 
Minnesota, and continued to reside in this state until 
his death at Crookston, in 1904. His wife survived 
him eight years, living to the advanced age of ninety- 
three years. Of their family of twelve children nine 
are now living. Three of the sons and the father were 



284 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



soldiers iu the war of tlie i-cht-Uioii. The latter was 
made a sergeant in his eonipany and for three years 
was detailed to detached service in the western cam- 
paigns under General Grant. He also took part in 
the Indian war of 1862. Joseph 0. Sargent was 
reared in the pioneer home and was familiar from 
earliest childhood with the privations and hardy influ- 
ences of frontier life. He secured what educational 
advantages the country afforded and the favorite 
recreations of his boyhood were fishing and hunting 
trips in which the native Indians were his frequent 
companions. He was nine years of age when the 
family settled in Minnesota, in territorial days, and 
from the experiences of a long and eventful career, 
recalls many interesting and significant incidents. 
He enlisted when eighteen years of age, February IS), 
1864, in Company C of the Sixth Minnesota volun- 
teer infantry, and was in active service during the 
remainder of the war, in the compaigns of the IMiss- 
is.sippi river, the Red river and the gulf coast, taking 
])art in tlie l)attles of ^Io))ile, Fort Blakeley and 
Arkansas Post and in a number of minor maneuvers 
against the forces under General Price. After the 
close of the war he returned to Minnesota and located 
on a farm iu Rice county and spent several years 



farming and oi)eratiug a wagon and blacksmith shop 
at Dundas, near Northfield, and at tlie lime of the 
raiding of that town by the -James and Yonngers, was 
one of the posse who trailed and cai)tured the noto- 
rious band. In 1879 he came to Polk county and took 
a homestead claim in Hamlin townshij), where he 
was the first settler. His first home was a frame 
shanty and he again lived among primitive surround- 
ings, engaging in the task of clearing wild land for 
cultivation. He developed a fine farm and remained 
on the place for fourteen years and then disposed of 
his farming interests and removed to Crook.ston and 
became a building contractor. He conducted a pros- 
perous business for a number of years, erecting many 
of the public buildings and homes in that city, and 
is one of its most highly respected citizens. Mr. Sar- 
gent has always been a loyal supporter of the Repub- 
lican ])artv and has given valuable service in offices 
of public trust, in township affairs, as a member of 
the school board of Handin township, and also super- 
visor and assessor, and for six years served on the 
city council of Crookston. He was married in 1870 
to Lucinda Kingsbury, who was born in Iowa county, 
Wisconsin. Two daughters were born to them but 
neither are now living. 



ANDREW N. HOFFE. 



Having come to the United States at the age of 
twenty years, and having made good use of every 
opportunity tliat lias presented itself to him to im- 
prove his condition and advance his interests, Andrew 
N. IToffe, one of the leading farmers of Liberty town- 
ship, this county, has made steady progi'ess to a con- 
dition of liberal and substantial comfort in a worldly 
way, and has, in liis useful and progressive career, 
given a fine illustration of the possibilities open to 
industry, frugality, upright living and good business 
management in this land of almost boundless wealth 
and opportunity. 

Mr. Hoffe is a native of Norway, where his life 
began January 3, 1856, and where he was reared to 



the age of twenty and obtained his education. He was 
reared on a farm, and throughout his subsef|uent years 
he has adhered to the occupation with which he began 
his industrial record. In the spring of 1876 he 
emigrated to this country, landing at Philadelphia 
and coming at once to Houston county, ^Minnesota, 
and there working out as a farm laborer for two or 
three years. His wages were small and the work was 
hard, but his spirit and determination kept him at it, 
and he was careful in saving what he could of his 
earnings. 

From Houston county Mr. Hoffe moved to Goodhue 
county, this state, and there he continued to work as 
a farm lal>orer for four vears. In 1883 he came to 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



285 



Polk county and purchased 160 acres of land south- 
east of the village of Fertile, paying $800 for the tract. 
He improved his land as much as he could, but as 
he was still compelled to earn his living by working 
for other farmers, his efforts in this direction for 
some time were limited. But he continued them until 
the spring of 1899, when he moved to the farm on 
which he now lives, and he has kept them up ever 
since, both on that farm and on all his other tracts. 
He now owns 1,240 acres of fii'st-rate land improved 
with good buildings and constituting one of the most 
desirable and valuable homes in his township, all of 



which has been acquired by his own industry and 
thrift. 

Mr. Hoffe was married in Grand Foi*ks, North 
Dakota, in the spring of 1888 to Miss Sarah Dall, who, 
also, is a native of Norway. They have two children, 
their sons Nels and Peder 0. The head of the house 
has served for some years on the township board and 
also as a member of the school board, and he is one 
of the directors of the Farmers' State Bank of Fertile. 
He and his wile are members of the Synod Lutheran 
church. 



WILLIAM HOLLEY. 



William Holley was for a quarter of a century 
actively engaged in farming in Polk county, but since 
1905 lived retired from active pursuits and making his 
home in East Grand Forks, until his death December 
9, 1915. William Ilolley contributed a liberal share 
of enterprise and assistance in building up and devel- 
oping this county, and won the lasting esteem of all 
who knew him by the uprightness of his life, his suc- 
cessful management of his own affairs and his cordial 
and helpful interest in the progress and enduring 
welfare of his locality. 

Mr. Holley was born near Toronto, Canada, August 
1, 1842, and remained there until 1880 progressively 
engaged in farming after leaving school. In March, 
1880, he became a resident of Polk county, locating in 
Grand Forks township, where he purchased a farm of 
nearly eighty acres. He developed and improved this 
farm and made his home on it until the autumn of 



1905, when he retired from business and changed his 
residence to East Grand Forks. His farm now com- 
prises 240 acres and is all under cultivation and well 
improved with good buildings and all necessary 
equipment for its vigorous and systematic tillage 
according to the most approved present-day methods. 
On February 6, 1877, Mr. Holley was married in 
Canada to Miss Margaret Wallace, of the same 
nativity as himself and born March 4, 1859. They 
had one child, their son William Henry Wallace 
Holley, who was born in Grand Forks township, this 
county, August 31, 1890. The parents were zealous 
and active members of the Presbyterian church, and 
the father always took a good citizen's part in the 
work of pushing the progress of Polk county forward 
along all lines of wholesome development and seeing 
that its public affairs were wisely, honestly and 
economically managed. 



OLE F. BRUUN. 



Coming to the United States at the age of eighteen, 
with no capital but his resolute spirit, active mind, 
habitus of industry and frugality and quick perception 
of opportunities for advancement, and using all his 
chances to better his condition to good advantage, Ole 
F. Bruun, one of the leading and successful farmers 



of Vineland township, this county, has accumulated a 
well-earned competency for life and raised himself to 
influence and general esteem among his fellow men 
by his sterling citizenship and useful services to his 
community. His career furnishes a striking illustra- 
tion of the value of pluck, energy and persistency, 



286 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



coupled with determination to win, especially in a 
land of such abundant opportunity as this one dis- 
plays. 

Mr. Bruun is a native of Norway, bom October 27, 
1862. In the spring of 1880 he emigrated to the 
United States and located first in Ottertail county, 
Minnesota, where he arrived May 24 and worked at 
farm labor until October. He then came to Polk 
county, and here he continued to work out as a farm 
hand until the spring of 1888. On June 4, of that 
year, he was united in marriage with Miss Gea Thore- 
son, who was born in Filhnore county, Minnesota, 
September 8, 1868. 

After his marriage Mr. Bruun took up his residence 
on a farm in Section 24, Tynsid township, Polk 
county, buying eighty acres of land, which he still 
owns and which he has improved with good buildings 



and made highly productive. In 1901 he bought 363 
acres in Section 2, Vineland township, and changed 
his residence to that tract, on which he also erected a 
fine set of buildings. He now owns 683 acres in all, 
and has the whole extent under cultivation and yield- 
ing excellent crops under his judicious and progressive 
tillage. He has served as a member of the township 
board of supervisors, township treasurer, assessor and 
treasurer of his school district. For some years he 
has also been the treasurer of the Lutheran Free 
church, of which he and his family are members. 

Mr. and Mrs. Bruun have twelve children : Clara, 
Julia, Helga, Freda, Thelma, Frederick, Ida, Harold, 
Georga, Olinda, Norman and Alpha. Clara is the wife 
of Ole Dahlen, and has her home in Crookston. The 
other children are living at or near the home of their 
parents. 



OLE N. OLSLUND. 



Neither the favors of fortune nor adventitious cir- 
cumstances, except as he found or made them, have 
had anything to do with the progressive and successful 
career of Ole N. Olslund, one of the enterprising and 
prosperous farmers of Polk county, whose comfortable 
and attractive country home is located in Section 24, 
Reis township. Every step of his advancement in 
life has been hewed out by himself, and all his acquisi- 
tions and possessions are the fruits of his own 
diligence, thrift, good management and fine business 
capacity. 

Mr. Olslund was born in Norway December 3, 1856, 
and when he was betwen eight and nine yeai*s of age 
came to the United States with his father and brother 
John. They located first at Rockford, Illinois, and 
two years later moved to Allamakee county, Iowa. 
The father died in that county at the age of seventy 
years, and Mr. Olslund 's brother John also died there 
when he was about twelve. Mr. Olslund himself con- 
tinued to live in Allamakee county, Iowa, until he 
reached the age of nineteen, and then made his home 
at different places until 1881. In April of that year 



he became a resident of Polk county, Minnesota, taking 
up a homestead of 160 acres in Section 14, Reis town- 
ship. He improved his land and lived on it for some 
years, then sold it and bought the fine farm of 200 
acres in Section 24, Reis towaiship, on which he now 
has his home, and on which he ei'ected the buildings. 

The public affairs of the county, especially those of 
his own township, have always deeply and practically 
interested Mr. Olslund, and he has been of great serv- 
ice to the people in helping to administer them wisely, 
having filled every local office except that of township 
clerk, and winning high approval by the excellent 
record he made in each. As a private citizen, too, he 
has been very useful by the force of his example, his 
enterprise, progressiveness and breadth of view in all 
undertakings for the general welfare, and his un- 
hesitating readiness to assist in promoting them. 

Mr. Olslund was married March 13, 1884, to Miss 
Hannah Johnson, a native of Allamakee county, Iowa, 
and the daughter of John G. Johnson, who settled in 
Reis township in 1879, and was one of its revered 
pioneers. He died in that township in the autumn of 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



287 



1914, when he was about seventy-six years old. Mr. 
and Mrs. Olsluud are the parents of ten children, 
Elmer, Grace, Milton, Orley, Harrietta, Myrtle, 
Reuben, Ethelyn, Curtis and Lewis. Grace is now the 



wife of Earnest Dennison. The parents are active 
and zealous members of the Methodist Episcopal 
church at Beltrami. 



ERICK 0. STORTROEM. 



This progressive and successful farmer of Vineland 
township, Polk county, is one of the foreign born men 
of sturdy and sterling worth who have come to this 
country for better opportunities for advancement than 
their native lands seemed to offer and have not only 
helped themselves but have also aided vastly in the 
development and improvement of the country by 
tloing so. He is a good representative of the reliable 
manhood of Norway, where he was born September 1, 
1855, and where he was reared to the age of twenty- 
two and obtained a common school education. 

In June, 1877, Mr. Stortroem emigrated to this 
country and located first in Pierce county, Wisconsin, 
where he remained until the spring of 1878, then came 
to Polk county, Minnesota, and pre-empted 160 acres 
of land in Section 20, Vineland township. Two and 
a half years later he turned in that 160 acres as part 
of a homestead in the same section, and on that he 
lived until the fall of 1883, when he moved to Section 
19, on which he has since had his home. He now owns 
200 acres, all of which tract is improved and under 
advanced cultivation according to the most approved 



methods of present-day farming and yielding excellent 
crops. 

Mr. Stortroem has taken a cordial and helpful 
interest in all the public and business affairs of his 
township and rendered the people good service in con- 
nection with many of them. He has held the ofiSce of 
secretary of the Vineland Mutual Fire Insurance com- 
pany for ten years and now held the same position 
again, and has been township treasurer, township 
assessor and for a long time a member of the board of 
supervisors, of which he has been chairman for a 
number of years. He is also treasurer of the Sand 
Hill Norwegian Lutheran church, to which he and the 
members of his family belong. 

On June 1, 1883, Mr. Stortroem was united in mar- 
riage with Miss Mary B'angen, who is, like himself, a 
native of Norway. They have seven children, Serena, 
Ole, Jennie, Walberg, Stella, Mabel and Ernest. 
Serena has become the wife of Thomas Gilbertson. The 
rest of the children are still members of the parental 
family circle. 



OLE H. DALE. 



Since the age of twelve years Ole H. Dale, one of 
the successful and progressive farmers of Knute town- 
ship, Polk county, and at the time of this writing 
(1915) chairman of the township board, has been a 
resident of the United States and the northwest. He 
is, therefore, fully in touch with the residents of this 
section of the country and heartily in sympathy with 
all their proper aspiration and undertakings. The 
people of his township regard him as one of their most 
useful and enterprising men and a representative citi- 



zen among them, sterling, sturdy, public-spirited and 
reliable. 

Mr. Dale was bom in Norway July 3, 1850, the son 
of Halvor T. and Anna (Jacobson) Dale, who 
belonged to families long domesticated in that country. 
In 1862 they emigrated to America and took up their 
residence in Dane county, Wisconsin, where they 
remained about two years. At the end of that period 
they moved to Faribault county, Minnesota, and on a 
homestead in that county, which he took up soon after 



288 



COJIPEXDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



his arrival there, the father died in 1871 aged nearly 
eighty-three years. The mother also died in that 
county in 1891 at an advanced age and well esteemed, 
as was the father wherever he was known. 

Their son Ole reached manhood on his father's farm 
in Faribault county and completed his education in 
the State Normal School at ilankato. For a number 
of years he taught school in Waseca county, Minne- 
sota, and in the spring of 1883 came to Polk county 
and filed on 160 acres of land in section 27, Knute 
township. For the first fifteen years of his residence 
in this county he again taught school while improving 
his farm and bringing it to productiveness, but since 
the expiration of the period named he has devoted his 
energies wholly to his farming operations except what 
have been i-equired in the performance of public duties 
to which the people have chosen him. lie has the 



greater part of his land under cultivation and the 
farm is well improved with good buildings suitable to 
its needs for every purpose. 

Mr. Dale has always taken an active and serviceable 
part in the public affairs of his township. He has 
served as assessor three years, town clerk six years, 
justice of the peace fourteen years. During the last 
thirteen years he has been chairman of the town board. 

In 1886 Mr. Dale was married in Knute township 
to Miss Anna Levorsoii, a native of Waseca county, 
this state, and tlic daughter of Ilalvor Levorsou, who 
was one of Waseca county's pioneei-s. Jlr. and Mrs. 
Dale have had five children. Hilda, Agnes, Henry 
and Ella are living. Emma died September 16, 1913, 
at the age of sixteen years, four months and two days. 
The parents are active members of the United 
Lutheran church. 



CYRUS H. HOLMES. 



Born and reared in the west, and with the whole of 
his Life to the present time (1915) passed in the Missis- 
sippi Valley, part of it amid the privations and hard- 
ships of the frontier, Cyrus H. Holmes, one of the 
prominent farmers and public-spirited citizens of 
Onstad township, this county, is thoroughly imbued 
with the spirit of this section of the country and fitly 
represents its stalwart, sturdy manhood and elevated, 
progressive citizenship. 

Mr. Holmes is a native of Pike county, Illinois, 
VFhere his life began January 19, 1857, on a farm 
located about four miles from Pittsfield, the seat of 
the county government. When he was about twelve 
years old his parents moved to Champaign county, in 
the same state, and there the son remained until 
October, 1880, when he went to Kansas and located on 
a farm near Wellington, Sunmer county, on which he 
lived about two years and a half. In the spring of 
1883 he became a resident of this county, and the 
next year he settled on the farm on which he now 
lives, in Section 21, near the village of ]\lelviii, in 
Onstad township, the tract being 160 acres which he 



bought of the railroad company, and on which he 
lived until 1897. 

In the year last named Mr. Holmes moved his family 
to Litchfield for the purpose of obtaining better edu- 
cational facilities for his ciiildreu, and in that city he 
remained six years, his fann being operated by a 
tenant during that period. In 1903 he returned to 
the farm and lived on it three years longer, and in 
1906 went back to Kansas, locating at Moran, in Allen 
county, and engaging in the oil business during the 
next three years. He retumied to his farm in lf)10, 
and since then he has made it his home continuously. 
He has added forty acres to his original purchase and 
now owns 200. In 1909 the railroad companj' opened 
a gravel pit on his farm, and this has proven very 
profitable to him. He has erected good buildings on 
the farm, set out a fine grove and added other features 
which have greatly increased its value and attractive- 
ness as a rural home, and he has carried on a general 
farming industry with studious attention to the 
qualities of the soil and aecording to the most 
approved methods of present-day farming. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



289 



On February 23, 1881, Mr. Holmes was married in 
Sumner county, Kansas, to Miss Addie Dillon, who 
was born near Danville, Illinois, July 28, 1862, and 
reared to womanhood in the adjoining county of 
Champaign. They have three children, Mabel E., 
Melvin D. and Roland W. Mabel is the wife of Rein- 
hold Lohi. Melvin married Miss Jessie Cunningham 
and lives at Melvin. Roland is a student at the high 



school in Fertile. Mr. Holmes has taken an active 
part in township affairs and has filled with credit to 
himself and benefit to the people several township 
offices. He has been assessor, treasurer and supervisor 
in Onstad township, and has served as a justice of 
the peace for many years. He and his wafe and chil- 
dren are members of the Christian church. 



J. H. McNICOL. 



J. H. ^IcNicol, station agent for the Northern 
Pacific at Grand Forks, North Dakota, and a prom- 
inent citizen of Ea.st Grand Forks, is a native of 
Canada, born at Renfrew, Ontario, June 10, 1877, 
the son of Duncan A. and Lucy (Wright) McNicol, 
who were also natives of Ontario. Duncan ilcNicol 
came to Grand Forks in 1880 and in the following 
year was joined by his wife and family. He was 
a millwright by trade and previous to his removal to 
Polk county, had engaged in the contracting busi- 
ness. On settling in Grand Forks he entered the 
lumber trade on the Red river, buying and shipping 
logs and later returned to the contracting business in 
which he engaged for many years, until 1901, when 
he removed to Anaconda, Montana, and is employed 
in the construction work on the Butte, Anaconda & 
Pacific railroad. J. H. McNicol was the eldest of five 
children and became a resident of Polk county at six 
years of age, when after two years in Grand Forks, 
the family settled in East Grand Forks. He attended 
the public schools and at fifteen years entered the 
employ of the Northern Pacific railroad company as a 
call boy and received steady advancement, working as 



car tracker and night clerk and was then made ticket 
clerk at Grand Forks. Subsequently he was employed 
as assistant ti'ainmaster and traveling freight agent 
and after serving as assistant agent at East Grand 
Forks, in 1901 was appointed agent. His rapid pro- 
motion and efficient services for many years as an 
official attest to the marked success of his career as a 
railroad man and in public affairs, he has been 
prominently associated with all projects for the 
advancement of the general welfare. As a member of 
an important committee he was particularly influential 
in securing the present valuable water works and 
sewerage system and also served for five years as 
secretary of the Commercial club. His marriage to 
Alice Mullally occurred in East Grand Forks, Decem- 
ber 26, 1898. She was bom in Ontario, the daughter 
of James and Euphemia (May) ilullally, who settled 
in East Grand Forks in 1879. A sketch of the former, 
a pioneer railroad man of Polk county is included in 
this work. Two children have been bom to Mr. Mc- 
Nicol and his wife, Lucy Geraldine and Ruth Isabelle. 
Mr. McNicol is a member of the Modern Woodmen of 
America and of the Masonic fraternity. 



PETER J. PAULSRUD. 



Bom and reared to the age of seventeen in a land 
far distant from this and with institutions, scenes and 
associations very different from ours; coming to this 
country alone in his youth with no capital but his 



pluck; making his own way in the world to a con- 
dition of substantial comfort and independence, Peter 
J. Paulsrud, one of the leading farmers and citizens 
of Hubbard township, Polk county, has been a hard 



wise head, strong arms, willing hands and unyielding worker and a good manager, and is entitled to full 



290 



COMPENDimi OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



credit for the excellent use he has made of his oppor- 
tunities, as he is also for the general esteem he enjoys 
for his sterling citizenship and usefulness. 

Mr. Paulsrud was born in Norway May 22, 1865, 
and emigrated to the United States in the spring of 
1882. He landed at New York and came direct to 
Ada, Norman county, Minnesota, and from there 
worked his way across the country to the farm of the 
late Nels Paulsrud, who was distantly related to him. 
He worked for his relative two years, receiving $150 
and his board and lodging for his first year's labor 
and $20 a month and board and lodging for the 
second. He then went to North Dakota and worked 
out as a farm hand for three years in that state, or 
territory as it was then. 

In the spring of 1887 Mr. Paulsrud was married to 
]Miss Lena Gillebo, who was, like himself, bom in 
Norway. Returning to Polk county after his mar- 
riage, he took charge of his relative's farm for four 
years while the latter served as sheriff of the county. 
At the conclusion of this period he rented another 



farm in Hubbard township, which he occupied for six 
years, then bought one of 200 acres which he after- 
ward sold in order to buy the tract of 200 acres in 
Section 32, Hubbard township, on which he now lives. 
He has improved his farm with good buildings, 
arranged it according to a good system and made it 
attractive as a rural home. His farming is of a 
general character and he is very successful in the 
management of it. 

Mr. Paulsrud has served as assessor of Hubbard 
township during the last ten years, and has also been 
a constable and town supervisor. He is an active 
member and one of the trustees of the Norwegian 
Lutheran church at Nielsville, of which his wife is 
also a member. They have one child, their son Julius, 
who was born in 1890 and is a graduate of the School 
of Agriculture at Crookston. He is now a resident 
of the state of North Dakota. Mr. and Mrs. Paulsrud 
have also taken into their household a-s a member of 
their family Ida J. Olson, who bears to them the 
relation of foster daughter. 



EDWARD W. JOHNSON. 



Edward W. Johnson is one of the leading mer- 
chants of Beltrami, this county, and also a land- 
owner of substance and prominence, and stands well 
in the regard and good will of the people of the 
whole county because of his enterprise and upright- 
ness in all business transactions, his progressiveness 
and public spirit as a citizen and his genuine worth 
as a man in every respect. He has lived in the 
county thirty-six years, and during the greater part 
of that period has been active in contributing to the 
advancement and general welfare of this section and 
the service of its residents. 

Mr. Jolinson is a native of Lansing, Allamakee 
county, Iowa, where his life began February 4, 1867, 
and where he passed the first twelve years of it. His 
parents, John G. and Gunhild 0. (Dahl) Johnson, were 
bom and reared in Norway and became residents of 
Polk county, Minnesota, ia 1879, settling on a farm 



in section 12, Rice township. They lived on their 
farm until 1913, when they moved to the village of 
Beltrami, where the father died September 26, 1914, 
and the mother is now living. 

Edward W. Johnson came to Polk county in 1879 
with his parents and lived with them until 1887, when 
he began his business career as a clerk in a general 
merchandising store in Beltrami. He worked as a 
clerk seven years, then bought the business of C. E. 
Ford, of which he has since been the proprietor and 
manager. He carries a general stock of goods of 
all kinds, including agricultural implements, and 
has an extensive trade. In conducting his business 
he is enterprising and progressive, studying the wants 
of the community and doing everything in his power 
to meet and fully provide for them. 

The public affairs of his village and township have 
always interested Mr. Johnson and he has taken an 




EDWAKD W. JOHNSON 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



291 



active part iu them, serving as treasurer of Rice 
township and filling other local ofBces with ability 
and to the satisfaction of the people. He is also 
deeply interested in the farming interests of the 
county as the owner of 500 acres of land, the culti- 
vation of which he superintends personally. His 
brother, Herman Johnson, is associated with him in 
the mercantile line of his activity, the firm name 



being E. W. Johnson & Company. E. W. was mar- 
ried in 1891 to Miss Caroline Halvorson, a native of 
Norway. They have had six children, five of whom 
are living, Edwin, Myron, Otto, Elmira and Thelma. 
Mr. Johnson is a leading man in Beltrami and rep- 
resentative of the best attributes of its citizenship, 
and he is universally respected for his sterling quali- 
ties of manhood. 



ALBERT SPOKELY. 



Whatever there is of credit in the career of Albert 
Spokely, one of the extensive and successful farmers 
of Hubbard township, this county, and there is a great 
deal that is entitled to warm commendation, reflects 
in large measure back upon the township and county 
of his present home, for he is a native of that town- 
ship and has passed almost the whole of his life to 
this time (1915) within its borders. He was also 
educated iu that township and married there, and, 
therefore, all his interests center in it. 

Mr. Spokely 's life began in Hubbard township, 
Polk county, Minnesota, April 21, 1874. He is a son 
of Gunleik and Gunvor (Hagen) Spokely, natives of 
Norway, and a brother of Alexander G. Spokely, 
sketches of whom will be found in this work. The 
parents became residents of Polk county in 1871, but 
emigrated to the United States several years earlier. 
They were pioneers in this county, and when they 
ai-rived here the father took up a homestead in Hub- 



bard township, which was then largely a wilderness, 
and on that farm, as by his industry and skill he has 
made it, the parents still have it as their home. 

Of the twelve children born in the family Albert 
was the third in the order of birth, and he is now 
the oldest of those who are living. He was reared on 
his father's farm and educated at the school iu the 
neighborhood. For a short time after reaching his 
manhood he conducted a saloon at Climax, but, with 
the exception of this venture in mercantile life, he 
has devoted his time and energies wholly to farming. 
He owns 440 acres in Hubbard township, on which 
he has put up good buildings and developed a large 
industry in raising potatoes and wheat, of which he 
makes specialties. On October 9, 1897, he was united 
in mariage with Miss Johanna Myrland, a native of 
North Dakota. They have four children, Guy, Earl, 
Delight and Syla. 



R. T. WEBSTER. 



Conducting with enterprise, skill and success the 
farming operations on about 800 acres of land, which 
he has greatly improved and made increasingly fruit- 
ful since taking charge of it, and taking an active and 
sei'viceable part in all the public affairs of his section 
of Polk county, R. T. Webster, whose home is on 
Section 15, is necessarily one of the leading and most 
useful citizens of Reis township, and is respected by 
the people according to his rank. 



Mr. Webster was born near the city of Rock Island, 
Illinois, October 18, 1859, and is the son of C. U. and 
Mary (Caruthers) Webster, who are also residents of 
Polk coiinty and now far advanced in age. The family 
moved to Buffalo county, Wisconsin, while R. T. was 
in his childliood, and lived there until he was about 
seventeen years of age. The parents then changed the 
family residence to St. Croix county, Wisconsin, and 
the son remained in that county until 1878, when 



292 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



they all became resideuts of Polk county, ^Minnesota. 
They located in Fisher township, where they were 
pioneers, and wliere the fatlier took a leading part in 
all public affairs, filling numerous local offices and 
that of county auditor, which he held for four years. 
Of the eight children born in the parental house- 
hold R. T. was the second in thi' order of birth. He 
lived in Fisher township, this county, until the spring 
of 1913, and, with the exception of si.\ years, he has 



been engaged in farming since his boyhood. He was 
assessor of Fisher township for several terms, and in 
other ways has shown his interest in tlie abiding wel- 
fare and improvement of Polk county, in the fall of 
1890 he was united in marriage with Miss Margaret 
Kane, of Buffalo county, Wisconsin. They have five 
children, Ray, ZueUa, Clifford, Mary C. and Allen II. 
Mr. Webster's farm is one of the best in Reis town- 
ship, and his .skill and enterprise have made it tliis. 



JACOB BJONTEGARD. 



Jacob Bjontegard, a successful farmer and dredge 
contractor, of Queen township, has been a resident of 
the county since 1886. He was born in Norway, March 
6, 1860, and was educated iu the under officers school 
at Christiania. When twenty years of age he enlisted 
in the regular arm.v as corporal and within a year 
was promoted to the office of sergeant and detailed to 
service as a drill master for recruits and made an 
excellent i-ecord in military training. He received 
his honorable discharge after five years service and 
in 1886 came to the United States and to Minnesota. 
For a time he rented a farm near Fisher, Polk county, 
and then bought two hundred and forty acres, of 
which eighty acres were wild land. This was prairie 
land and after six years of successful operations in 
that region, he decided to move to a timber country 
witli a milder climate and sold the farm with the inten- 
tion of investing in Oregon property but on visiting 
the eastern timber section of Polk county, concluded 
to locate there. He bought the homestead claim of 
Halkinrud in section twenty-eight of Queen township, 
seven miles northeast of Fosston, paying $2,500 for 
the property with a small frame house and sixty acres 
of cleared land. The greater part of the land was 
covered with large timber, for the most part, oak, 
spruce and ash and Mr. Bjontegard has sold a great 
deal of first class lumber cut from his place and has 
now all the land in use in his various agricultural 
activities. This region, being a tine grass country and 
naturally adapted to the raising of clover, has proven 



peculiarly advantageous to dairy farming and Mr. 
Bjontegard has given some attention to this enter- 
prise. During the fifteen years which he has spent 
on this place, he has built up a fine, modern farm, 
erecting good buildings and has advanced the effi- 
ciency of his operations with the improvements and 
conveniences of progressive farm equipment and has 
a good watering .system with a drilled well. Aside 
from his farming activities he has engaged in the 
ditch contracting business and has constructed some 
eighteen miles of the county drainage in three dif- 
ferent ditches and has at times employed a force of 
twelve men in this work. Previously he was selected 
as the viewer and assessor for a number of the county 
ditches. On his own farm, which is named "Meadow 
Brook Farm," lie has reclaimed thirty acres of val- 
uable meadow land. Mr. Bjontegard is a member of 
the Republican party and has always taken an active 
interest in public affairs and has been honored with 
numerous local offices, his able services beginning as a 
member of the school board to which he w-as elected 
a few days after locating in Queen township and he 
has filled the offices of chairman of the board of super- 
visors, treasurer and justice of peace and has served 
continuously on the school board. He is a member of 
the Norwegian Free church, one mile east of his home, 
and is associated with the business interests of the 
community as a stockholder in the cooperative cream- 
ery and Farmers elevator at Fosston. He has also 
for a number of years been director and agent for the 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



293 



Local Farmers Fire Insurance company, a most suc- 
cessful organization. Mr. Bjontegard has been twice 
married. His first union was solemnized at Grand 
Forks in 1887, with Minnie Moe, who was a native of 
Norway and died in 1893, leaving two children, Thor- 



wald and Mary. In 1896, Mr. Bjontegai'd was mar- 
ried to Carrie Berg of Red River, Polk county, and 
they have four children, Ingmar, Mamie, Clara and 
Arthur. 



MICHAEL L. ENRIGHT. 



Michael L. Enright, proprietor of the Edenvale 
farm and one of Polk county's leading agriculturists, 
has been a resident of Huntsville township since 1878, 
when his father located on tlie land which is his pres- 
ent home. Michael Enright is a native of Canada, 
born in Plyinpton county, Ontario, February 4, 1869, 
the son of Dennis and Catherine (O'Neil) Enright, 
of whose family of nine boys and two girls, but four 
sons are now living in Polk county, the subject of this 
sketch, Richard, Edward F. and Thomas, all of East 
Grand Forks. Michael Enright has devoted his life to 
the farm. After receiving a common school education 
and after the death of his father in 1884 he assisted 
his mother in operating the homestead and upon the 
death of the latter in 1906, became the owner of the 
three hundred and sixty acres. Edenvale farm now 
includes five hundred and twenty acres and is one of 
the model stock and dairy farms of the region, located 
two miles east of East Graud Forks, on the Red Lake 
river. This farm with its products, is one on which 
Polk county bases its high standard of agricultural 
prosperity and attests notaVily to the enterprise and 
ability of its owner. As a stock farmer, Mr. Enright 
has captured many high honors at the state and local 
fairs, with his thoroughbred Holstein cattle and as a 
business man, is operating a stock and dairy enter- 
prise of a net earning capacity of five thousand dol- 



lars. His milk and cream shipments are made to the 
Sanitai-y Milk company of Grand Forks. He has 
notably promoted the efficiency and grade of local 
stock in the fine specimens of cattle which have been 
l)red on his estate. He keeps some eighty head of 
registered Holsteins and a large herd of dairy cows 
and also is intei-ested in the raising of farm horses. 
Aside from his extensive grain operations, he culti- 
vates coi-n for ensilage use and was one of the first to 
demonstrate the value and successful culture of alfalfa 
and has steadily increased his acreage for this crop 
and now has eighty acres devoted to it. As a pro- 
gressive farmer and citizen, Mr. Enright is interested 
in the advancement of public welfare. In political 
relations, he recognizes no distinction of party preju- 
dice in his selection of candidates and policies. He is 
a stockholder in the Farmers Mutual Insurance com- 
pany and president of the Sanitary Slilk company of 
Grand Forks. In 1903 he was married to Annie 
O'Connor, who was boni near Grand Forks, in North 
Dakota, the daughter of Ed O'Connoi-, a successful 
farmer and well known pioneer of that region. Mr. 
Enright and his wife have seven children, Josephine, 
Jerome, Frances, Helen, Michael, Margaret and Mary. 
Ml'. Enright is a member of the Knights of Columbus 
and with his family, is a communicant in the Sacred 
Heart church of East Grand Forks. 



ANDERS 0. MORVIG. 



For more than forty-two years Anders 0. Morvig, 
one of the prosperous and progressive farmers and 
leading citizens of Garfield township, has been a resi- 
dent of Minnesota, and during over thirty-six years 



of the period he has lived in and helped to develop 
and improve Polk county. He came to this county in 
1879, before Garfield township was organized, and was 
one of the early sellers in that part of the county, 



294 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



and, as he was a raau of intelligence and force of 
character, he had an important part in starting the 
new township on its course of progress and develop- 
ment when it was organized. 

Mr. Morvig was bona in Norway December 29, 1848, 
and grew to the age of twenty-five in his native land, 
where he was engaged in farming after completing 
his education. In 1873 he emigrated to the United 
States and came direct to Freeborn county, Minnesota, 
and there he was employed at farm labor until the 
fall of 1877, when he revisited Norway and remained 
until spring. On his return to Minnesota he again 
took up his residence in Freeborn county and renewed 
his farming operations, which he carried on until the 
spring of 1879 in that county, then moved to Polk 
county, making the journey from Freeborn with teams, 
and through the veritable wilderness part of the way. 

On his arrival in this county Jlr. Moi'V'ig took up 
160 acres of land in Section 15, in what is now Gai'- 
field township, and on this land, with a large addi- 
tional acreage which he has since purchased, he has 
lived and expended his energies ever since, greatly to 
his own advantage and the benefit of the town.ship 
and all its interests. He now owns a whole section of 
land and some beyond that, his holdings being partly 
in Garfield and partly in Garden township, and nearly 
all under fruitful cultivation. Soon after lie located 



here the new township of Garfield was organized, and 
the county commissioners appointed Mr. Morvig its 
first judge. He has also held the oflSces of constable 
and township supen'isor, and has at all times taken 
an earnest interest and an active part in all township 
affairs, serving for a time as township treasurer and 
frequently in some ofiice in connection with the admin- 
istration of the public school system. He is a director 
of the Fanners State Bank of Fertile and of the Co- 
operative Creamery company and the Elevator com- 
pany of that village. 

On December 28, 1883, Mr. Morvig was married in 
Garfield township to Mrs. Ingre (Vidder) Nelson, the 
widow of Ole Nelson, who died in that township. Siio 
also is a native of Norway, where her life began July 
18, 1859. By her first mariage she became the mother 
of one child, her daughter Olava, who is now the wife 
of G. G. Haugen. Mr. and Mrs. Morvig have had 
eleven children, nine of whom are living, Clara, 
Matilda, Alfred, Olaf, Ida, Ivar, Lloyd, Melvin and 
Edwin. Their son Carl T. died January 1, 1915, when 
he was twenty years of age, and their daughter Anna 
Maria in childhood. The parents are zealous members 
of Little Norway church in Garfield township, which 
the father helped to organize and in which he has ever 
been an earnest worker. 



HAFTOR B. HAFTORSON. 



Although not a native of this country Haftor B. 
Haftorson, one of the enterprising, progressive and 
successful farmers of Polk county, is thoroughly 
imbued with tlie spirit of its people and loyal and 
devoted to all its public institutions. He came to the 
United States when he was but five years old, and all 
of his subsequent years have been passed in the north- 
west and more than half of them in Onstad township, 
this county, in the progress and improvement of 
which he has been a potent factor in private and 
public life. 

Mr. Haftorson was bom in Norway March 24, 1860, 



the son of Berssvend and Anna (Balstad) Haftorson, 
with whom he came to America and located in Alla- 
makee county, Iowa, iu 1865. There the family lived 
until 1883, and there the son grew to manhood and 
obtained his education. In the fall of 1883 they all 
moved to Polk county, Minnesota, and took up their 
residence in Liberty township, where the parents 
resided for many years. Late iu life they moved to 
the state of Washington, but four years afterward 
returned to this county and made their home with 
their son Haftor. The father died June 24, 1912, in 
the seventy-eighth year of his age, and the mother 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



295 



March 17, 1913, when she was eighty -five. They were 
the parents of seven children, five of whom grew to 
maturity. They were Haftor, his sister Mary, and 
his brothers Eleseus, Albert and Louis. Mary is now 
the wife of G. K. GuUickson. Eleseus died in the 
state of Washington. Albert is a resident of Idaho 
and Louis has had his home in Oregon for many years. 
Haftor B. Haftorson has lived in Polk county con- 
tinuously since 1883, except for two years and a half, 
during which he was engaged in publishing the Evan- 
geli Basun, a Norwegian religious paper. Throughout 
the rest of his life here he has been engaged in general 
farming principally. About 1885 he purchased the 
fann on which he is now living, and this he has 
greatly improved with good buildings and systematic 
cultivation until he has made it one of the choice 
farms in his township. He has taken an active part 
in all township affairs and has held and ably filled 



the offices of chairman of the township board and 
township assessor in Onstad township. 

In December, 1883, Mr. Haftorson was married in 
Liberty to^vnship, this county, to Miss Sarah Olson, 
who died in Onstad township February 23, 1893. 
They became the parents of five children, only two 
of whom are living: Carola, who is the wife of Ole 
Leiran, and Hannah. Bennie and Alton died near 
together of diphtheria, the former in his seventeenth 
and the latter in his fifteenth year. Fifth child was 
bom dead and buried with its mother. 

On October 1, 1894, Mr. Haftorson contracted a 
second mariage, which united him with Miss Belle 
Olson, who was born in Norway August 28, 1868. Of 
the eight children born of this union three died in 
childhood. The five who are living are Harry, Willie, 
Oluf, Ruth and Irene. 



SEVER QUARBERG. 



During all of the last forty years this progressive 
and prosperous farmer and enterprising, public- 
spirited citizen of Fairfax township, this county, has 
been a resident of the northwest and at two periods 
of the time has manfully braved the hardships, priva- 
tions and dangers of the frontier. Through all diffi- 
culties, however, he has made his way with steady 
pi'ogrcss, relying whoUy on his own industry, ability 
and good management to advance his interests, and 
forcing every step of his advancement to tell to his 
benefit. 

Mr. Quarberg was born in the city of Ringsaker, 
Norway, May 20, 1861, and came to the United States 
with his parents when he was about fourteen years 
old. The family located in Buffalo county, Wisconsin, 
on arriving in this country, and there Sever grew to 
manhood, obtained what education was within his 
reach and helped to make a tract of wild timber land 
over into a productive farm. He remained at home 
with his parents until he reached the age of twenty- 
five, then came to Polk county in 1885 and bought a 



prairie homestead claim in Onstad township some 
miles east of his present home. The homestead had 
been proved up on, and Mr. Quarberg paid $800 for 
it, although he had only $600 in cash at the time when 
he made the purchase. 

On that farm Mr. Quarberg lived twenty-eight 
years, making good improvements, adding another 
for which he paid $1,000, and raising good crops of 
wheat, oats, flax and barley, and also raising and feed- 
ing live stock for his own use and for the markets. 
In 1910 he sold his land at a good advance over the 
original cost and bought the old Ilimmelsbach farm 
of 400 acres, on which he now lives, and on which he 
has erected new buildings at a cost of about $5,000 
to take the place of the old shacks the farm contained 
when he bought it. He has also sunk a deep artesian 
well on the place, and this furnishes him an abundant 
supply of excellent water for every purpose. 

Mr. Quarberg paid $29 an acre for his new farm 
and has since devoted his time and energy to mixed 
farming and his dairy business and live stock industrj'. 



296 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRxVPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



In 1915 he raised about 8,500 bushels of grain, 3,700 
bushels of which were wheat. He also keeps regularly 
some forty head of cattle and milks fifteen cows, sell- 
ing cream to the Ci'ookston creamery. The sire of his 
herd is a thoroughbred Shorthorn, and his stock is 
always in good condition. He does not confine him- 
self to cattle, however, but also raises good draft 
horses and uses them in his plowing. 

While this good citizen is wholly devoted to his 
farm and its interests, he never neglects the affairs of 
his township or the public welfare in any way. He 
helped to organize Onstad township, which was named 
for a pioneer who is now living at j\laple Bay in God- 
frey township, and has served on the township board 
in both Onstad and Fairfax townships. He also 
helped to build Ilafslo church, now in Russia town- 



ship, and is still a member of it and one of its trustees, 
anil he has served for years on tlic school board 
wherever he has lived and taken an active interest in 
educational matters. 

Mr. Quarberg was married while he was living in 
Wisconsin to Miss Anna Sylverstereon, also a native 
of Norway. Tiicy have three sons and one daughter. 
The daughter is JMay Matilda, now the wife of Sever 
Lee, a butter manufacturer in Crookston. The sons 
are : Alfred Selmer, who is living on the home farm ; 
Oscar Melvin. who is a graduate of the State Agricul- 
tural School at Crookston, and Arthur Oliver, who 
juirsucd a course of special training at Crookston 
college and is now a salesman and })ookkeeper in 
Crookston. 



DANIEL ANDERSON. 



Daniel Anderson, a well known farmer of Kuute 
township, was bom in Sweden, July 26, 1848, and 
spent his early manhood in his native land. He was 
a blacksmith by trade and after coming to the United 
States in 1879 worked at his trade for some years in 
Douglas county, Minnesota. He came to Polk county 
in 1883 and filed on a preemption claim September 3 
of that year but did not make his home on the land 
until four years later. From the first years of hard 
toil and privations of the pioneer farm life with a 
meager income, he has risen through native ability 
and thrift to his present success and now owns a half 
section of Polk county land which he has put in the 
front ranks of its notably prosperous farming section. 
Seventy-five acres of the home farm, in section 
fourteen of Knute township, and sixty acres in the 
second quarter section are under cultivation and his 
enterprises also include stock farming and dairying. 
He keeps a herd of twelve dairy cows and is a stock- 
holder in the cooperative creamery at Melntosh, four 
miles east of his farm. His natural aptitude and 
liking for mechanics led to his operation of a private 
work shop on his place for many years, where he 



worked at his old trade aud at wood work for his own 
benefit and occupation, lu his farming activities, 
ilr. Anderson has displayed the results of enterprise 
and careful study and has triumphed with notable 
success over the old belief that apple culture was 
impossible for this .section, and has had some splendid 
crops of fine grade apples. Willwater lake, of some 
sixty acres in extent lies entirely within the boundaries 
of his farm and provides excellent fishing sport beside 
adding to the natural attractions of the home. The 
first log farm house was replaced in 1002 hy a eomfort- 
iil)le modern home wliirh occupies a 7nost happily 
cliosen site on the banks of the lake. Mr. Anderson 
has given his influence in all affairs of public welfare 
and has given able service as a memlK>r of the town- 
.ship board. He has always been an enthusia.stic hunts- 
man, having enjoyed elk hunts as a young man in 
Sweden and is still a devotee to the hearty out of door 
sports. He has been twice married. His first mar- 
riage was in Sweden to Johanna Larsen, who died in 
Douglas county, and was survived by five children, 
John, owns a farm in Knute town.ship ; Erick, now 
farming in Canada; Willie, who is in the livery busi- 




MK. AND MES. JOHN EEMICK 



COMPENDIUM OP HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



297 



ness at Erskine and owns a farm in Knute township ; 
Daniel, who operates a threshing machine outfit, and 
Andrew, who has a claim in Montana. Mr. Ander- 
son's second union was with Christina Peterson, of 
Douglas county, and they have five children, Arthur, 



Selma, who like her brothers owns a Montana claim ; 
Minnie, Albin and Esther is at home. Arthur Tlnder- 
son has secured a claim in Montana. John and Arthur 
operate a threshing outfit. 



J. F. KING. 



J. F. King, of Euclid, proprietor of a full line of 
agricultural implements and a hardware store and well 
known citizen of the county, is a native of Ontario, 
Canada, and has been a resident of Polk county since 
1890, when he was appointed station agent for the 
Great Northern railroad, at Mallery. Until recent 
years, his career has been devoted to railroad work, 
having been employed by the Great Northern road as 
station agent in Polk county for twenty-two years and 
previous to that time he had spent several years in 
the same occupation in North Dakota. In 1904 he 
was transferred from Mallery to Euclid and here he 
retired from his former interests after the many years 
of his able and competent service as a railroad man. 
He entered upon his present mercantile enterprise in 
1915, establishing a hardware and agricultural imple- 
ment business and erecting a modern and well 
equipped building. During the years of his residence 



in the county, Mr. King has earned the respect and 
confidence of its citizens and has been given a pros- 
perous welcome in his commei'cial activities. He was 
married to Mary 0. Hunter, in 1891. She is the 
daughter of Thomas Hunter, who for twenty years, 
was section foreman at Mallery, for the Great 
Northern railroad and now makes his home in Alberta, 
Canada. Nine children have been born to Mr. King 
and his wife, Catherine, Nellie, Clara, "William, who is 
associated with his father in the hardware business, 
John, Mary, Hazel, Edward and Estelle. The two 
oldest daughters, Catherine King and Nellie King are 
graduates of the high school at Warren and of the 
State Normal school and are both employed as teachers 
in the schools of Polk county, the latter being the 
principal of the high school at Euclid. The third 
daughter Clara is bookkeeper and secretary of the 
firm 's accounts. 



JOHN REMICK. 



Jolm Remick, one of the progressive and prosper- 
ous farmers of Grove Park township, this county, 
is practically a self-made man in the best sense of 
the term, as he has made his advancement in life 
wholly by his own efforts, unaided by the favors of 
fortune or propitious circimistances. Every step of 
his progress has been planned and worked out by 
himself, and none that he has taken has ever been 
retraced because he was unable to hold his ground. 

Mr. Remick was born in Rice county, Minnesota, 

November 15, 1871, the son of Joseph and Lizzie 

(Ault) Remick, natives of Germany. He was the 

sixth horn of their nine children, five sons and four 
19 



daughters. He grew to the age of nineteen on his 
father's farm in Rice county and obtained his edu- 
cation at the country school in the neighborhood. In 
1890 he came to Polk county, and here he has ever 
since resided. For a while after his arrival in this 
county he lived with his sister Mary, who is the wife 
of Charles Damann, and worked out on farms in the 
vicinity. He then rented land and farmed on his 
own account as a tenant until 1894, when he bought 
160 acres of land in section 3, Grove Park township, 
on which he has since maintained his home. 

By subsequent purchases Mr. Remick has doubled 
the size of his farm, and his whole tract of 320 acres 



298 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



is in an improved condition, under systematic culti- 
vation and yielding excellent returns for the labor 
and skill he expends upon it. He has erected attrac- 
tive and comfortable buildings, making his place one 
of the desirable rural homes in his township, lie 
follows general farming and does it in an intelligent 
and progressive way, making all of his industry tell 
to his advantage, and add, also, to the attractiveness 
and prosperity of the township. 

On October 23, 1894, Mr. Remick was united in 
marriage with Miss Sarah Quesnel, who was born in 



Canada, October 12, 1875, a daughter of Stephen and 
Elizabeth Christine (Charien) Quesnel, also natives 
of Canada. They were the parents of ten children, 
of whom Mrs. Remick was the fourth in the order of 
birth. She and her husband have five children, Viola, 
Lloyd, Herbert, Robert and Roy. ilr. Remick has 
taken an active part in the public affairs of his town- 
ship and filled several of its important public ofiSces, 
as a member of the township board, with credit 
to himself and benefit to the township. He and his 
wife are members of the Catholic church. 



JOHN E. TICE. 



John B. Tiee, a prominent farmer of Grove Park 
township, was born near Niagara Falls, Ontario, 
December 23, 1856, and came to the United States and 
to St. Paul October 29, 1878. For two years he was 
employed in farm labor in Ottertail county and in 
April, 1880, filed on his Polk county homestead, in 
section twenty-eight of Grove Park township. In the 
following spring he suffered the loss of his farm house, 
the erection of which had required the investment of 
his entire capital and he was compelled to build up 
his finances in other occupation for a time. He 
worked in the harvest fields and became foreman in 
the brickyard at Crookston, 1881, where he directed 
the manufacture of the material used in the First 
National bank building. In 1882 he went to Fergus 
Falls and for two years was foi-eman of the brickyard 
there, some of the output being used in the construc- 
tion of the Grand Hotel. Since then he has devoted 
his attention to his farm which in the original tract 
consisted of px-airie and timber laud. lie has now 
added sixty acres to his homestead and lias one hun- 
dred and forty acres in cultivation. This is one of 
the most prosperous estates of the community and a 
notable example of the thrift and enterprise of tlie 
farming population of Polk county who have advanced 
the general welfare of the r^on to its present high 
standard of development. Mr. Tice engages in grain 
and stock farming and as a dairy farmer is a patron 



of the cooperative creamery at Mentor. Although he 
was not present at the first election held in the town- 
ship, being employed at brick making in its season, 
he has always been prominently associated with the 
direction and promotion of public interests and a 
foi'ceful supporter of any project which tended to 
the welfare of the community. As a pioneer of the 
section he recalls the significance and associations of 
the naming of the township and town, the first receiv- 
ing its name from the many groves which dotted its 
territory and the postoffice town having been named 
Mentor by Mrs. E. E. Abbott in honor of President 
Garfield 's home. Mr. Tice is a member of the Demo- 
cratic party and has ever been interested in political 
activities and was allied with the Farmers Alliance 
and Peoples party of earlier days. His official serv- 
ice has been almost continuous, in the various offices, 
as treasurer for 19 years, justice of peace 2 yeare,. 
and as a member of the township board, being chair- 
man of that body for seven years, and as a mem- 
ber of the school board. He is now president of 
the school board of Mentor. In business enterprise, 
he is associated with the cooperative elevator creamery 
and store as a shareholder. Mr. Tiee has been a mem- 
ber of the Modern Woodmen of America for many 
years and wa-s one of the organizers of the Episcopal 
church at Mentor and has since served its interests. 
He was married in Fergus Falls, July 3, 1883, to 



COMPENDIUIiI OP HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



299 



Louise Kenline, a native of Dubuque, Iowa. Eight 
children have been born to this union, Essica, for- 
merly a teacher in Polk county schools and now the 
wife of Albert Strand, of Staples, Minnesota ; Frankie ; 
Elwood, associated with the mercantile interests of 
Reed's Store at Black Duck, Minnesota, for six years; 
Dorothy ; Anna, a student in the Mentor high school ; 
Joyce, who is attending high school at Crookston ; Rob- 
ert and Elaine, attending the Mentor school. Frankie 



Tice and Dorothy Tice have both been employed in 
the Polk county schools. The former who has taught 
ten yeai's continues to teach near East Grand Forks, 
while the latter, a teacher of four years, is a student 
in the business college at Crookston. The Tice home 
is an attractive residence and is situated but a short 
distance from Mentor, as the farm is partly within 
the village boundaries. 



LEWIS E. LARSON. 



Lewis E. Larson, a well known farmer and early 
settler of Esther township, has been a resident of 
Minnesota since he was a lad of ten years, when he 
came with his parents to Vemon county. He was 
born in Norway, in November, 1852, the son of Erick 
and Caroline Larson, who after living for several 
years in Vemon county, settled in Chippewa county, 
where the latter is still living, having survived the 
death of her husband some fourteen years. Lewis 
Larson grew to manhood in Chippewa county, work- 
ing at farm work and in the winters was employed 
in the pineries of Wisconsin and during the years 
spent as a lumber man made a number of log drives 
down the Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers to Hanni- 
bal, Missouri, St. Louis and other river ports. In the 
spring of 1877, in company with James Peterson, he 
traveled through Dakota with the intention of securing 
farm land but Minnesota became their choice and they 
secured land in Polk county where they have since 
remained neighbors. Mr. Larson's homestead was in 
section thirty of Northland township, along the JIarais 
river and he made his home in a log house ou that 
tract for several years meanwhile purchasing eighty 
acres of school land, bordering the river and a quarter 
section of railroad land in section thii-ty-one of North- 
land township. After six years he moved on the school 
land and this place has since been his home. On 
coming to Polk county, he possessed a small capital 
and a team of horses and during the first season put 
some fifteen acres under cultivation which yielded him 



a good crop and that fall, in company with his brother- 
in-law, James Peterson, with whom he had formerly 
been tissociated in the threshing business, he journeyed 
back to Chippewa county, where they invested in a 
threshing machine, which they operated that season 
near Climax, in Polk county. In the following fall 
they transferred their activities to the Marais river 
and to ten-itory in Dakota. Their machine was the 
first to be brought north of Grand Forks and after 
selling this, some years later they bought a steam 
thresher and continued in partnership for some time. 
Mr. Larson has met with success in his agricultural 
interests and has built up a fine farm property which 
he devotes mainly to the raising of gi'ain. He also is 
interested in stock and dairy farming and breeds a 
fine grade of Short Horn cattle. Ajs a pioneer citizen 
he was identified with the early organization of Esther 
and Higdem townships and was a member of the first 
township board and has continued to give efflcient 
service as a member of that body ever since, serving 
for many years as chairman. His influence has ever 
been prominent in matters of public betterment and 
he has been especially active in the interests of educa- 
tional movements and the public school system. He 
has always been a loyal supporter of the Grand Marais 
Lutheran church and was one of the original members 
of that organization. Of his family, two sisters lived 
in Polk county and a brother, Andrew Larson resides 
at Oslo, Minnesota. The sisters were Carrie Larson, 
the wife of Erick Peterson of Northland township and 



300 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



Severina Larson who married Ole Bosgai'd and lived 
iu Esther township. Both are now dead. Lewis 
Larson was married in Chippewa county, to Agnes 
Peterson, a sister of James Peterson, and a native of 
Sweden. Five children were boi'n to this union, 
Adolph, of East Grand Forks; Annie, who died at the 
age of nineteen, a few months after her marriage to 
Peter Baker of Goodhue county; Aretrander, who 
lives on the home place; Julius, who resides iu East 
Grand Forks, and Amanda, the wife of Oscar Steele, 



a mail carrier on an East Grand Forks route. The 
death of Mrs. Larson occurred eleven yeara after their 
marriage and in 1889, Mr. Larson contracted a second 
union with Anna Dalberg, who is a native of Sweden 
and they have four children, Elmer, who is a graduate 
of Aaker's business college at Grand Forks, Wilhelm, 
Elvin and Rudolph. After twenty-six years union, 
the latter Mrs. Larson died on December 6, 1915. Mr. 
Larson is still on the farm. 



CHARLES W. WILDER. 



Since March 15, 1899, Charles W. Wilder, of Crooks- 
ton township, has been a resident of Polk county, and 
during nearly all of the time has been engaged iu 
market gardening on a large scale and the leader in 
that industiy in this part of Minnesota. He has also 
been carrying on general farming operations for a 
number of years on three diiferent farms which he 
owns and has cultivated under his direct personal 
supervision and control. He was not the pioneer in 
the market gardening line but has been very successful 
in it, having the best years of the trade at his com- 
mand during the activity of the big lumbering mill iu 
Crookston, which is now dismantled. His success in 
the business has led to active competition, but he is 
still the leader in the particular line which he started 
in this locality. 

Mr. Wilder was born and reared in the province of 
Ontario, Canada, and in 1883 went to Dickey county, 
North Dakota, and took up a pre-emption and a tree 
claim. He lived on these claims sixteen years and 
was engaged in raising grain. When he went to North 
Dakota he had no capital, and was one of the first 
settlers on the prairie in what is now Dickey county. 
The prairie was then covered with buffalo in that 
region, and the soil is strewn with their bones, for thoy 
were slaughtered with relentless extravagance. 

On his arrival in this county, with $2,500 in cash as 
his capital, Mr. Wilder began operations as a market 
gardener on 34 acres of land. He raised vegetables 



and small fruits for sale and disposed of them at 
houses and stores in Crookston. He put up a hothouse 
of fair proportions to which he added others as his 
trade increased. From time to time he bought addi- 
tional land, and he now owns and cultivates his home 
farm of 164 acres in Section 32, Crookston township, 
and another river farm of 160 acres and one of 40 
acres on the prairie in Section 33, Fairfax township. 
For some of this land he paid $50 an acre, but he has 
made good use of it and rendered it far more valuable. 
He also erected all the buildings on liis farms, expend- 
ing in doing so upwards of $5,000. 

In his truck gardening Mr. Wilder has about 40 
acres devoted to raising potatoes and 15 in tomatoes 
and sweet corn, onions, cabbage, etc., regularly with 
other products in proportion. He employs several per- 
sons in carrying on his woi'k and uses modern machin- 
ery of the most approved models. He also conducts a 
general farming industry principally devoted to rais- 
ing grain, and lias averaged 38 bushels of wheat to the 
acre on a tract of 15 acres, and reached averages almost 
as high on other tracts from year to j^ear. 

Mr. Wilder was married while living in Dickey 
county. North Dakota, to Miss Lillian Coddington, a 
native of the state of New York. They have four 
children : Florence Elizabeth, who was graduated 
from the Crookston high school and taught school in 
Polk county three years, one of them in the town of 
Beltrami, and is now the wife of J. D. Dewar, of 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



301 



Hammond township ; Jessie H., who is also a graduate 
of the Crookston high school and was a Polk county 
teacher, and is now the wife of F. R. Hedley, of Faii"- 
fax township ; Jay E., who is a graduate of the Agri- 
cultural College at Crookston, and Harvey A. Mrs. 
Wilder is a member of the Andover-Fairfax Social 
club and takes an active part in its proceedings and 



is zealous in promoting its welfare. Mr. Wilder has 
sei-ved as treasurer of the township board and also as 
a member of the school board while living in North 
Dakota. His home farm is located just one mile east 
of the center of Crookston and is one of the best in 
Crookston township. 



ANTHON LINDEM. 



Anthon Lindem, a prominent farmer of Bygland 
township and an ex-county commissioner, came to Polk 
countj^ in 1878, from Buffalo county, Wisconsin. He 
was born in Noi'way, September 11, 1855, the son of 
Arund and Maren Christine Lindem, who located in 
Buffalo county in 1868, and there Anthon Lindem 
grew to manhood, receiving his education in the com- 
mon schools of that count}'. He assisted in the 
development of the pioneer farm, working for his 
parents and then thriftily extending his operations to 
those of a labor contractor, hiring men to clear and 
break tracts of farm land and also handling town con- 
tracts for road building. This proved a profitable 
venture and in 1878 he came to Polk county, where a 
friend Peter Anderson had settled some years pre- 
vious. Mr. Lindem secured a tree claim in Russia 
township and resumed his former occupation of break- 
ing new land and during the first summer experienced 
the inconveniences of frontier life, securing feed for 
his two teams with great difficulty and at the expense 
of a troublesome and tedious journey. In the fall of 
the same year he disposed of his land and removed to 
Bygland township, taking a homestead of eighty acres 
in section twenty-two which he later increased to a 
quarter section, and later by purchase increased to 
241 acres. His first house was a frame shaclv and he 
later moved to the log house which occupied the second 
tract of land, which remained his home until the 
erection of the present structure in 1890. He con- 
tinued to invest in land and has owned various tracts 
and has made many h^crative transactions in timber 
lands. He also owns a tract of fruit land in the 



Sacramento Valley, California. Although he lias 
devoted his attention principally to his farm, he was, 
in company with Peter Wardner, also interested for a 
time in a store at Big Fork, Itasca county. His son, 
Martin Lindem, was in charge of this store and both 
he and his sister, Anna Lindem, are owners of land in 
that county. For many years, Mr. Lindem confined 
his agi-icultural activities to the raising of grain but 
has latterly turned more attention to stock farming, 
breeding Short Horn cattle for dairying and )narket- 
iug purposes. Botli from natural location and 
impi-oved equipment his farm ranks among the finest 
of this region and attests to its owner's progressive 
methods and business ability. As a public spirited 
citizen and public servant, Mr. Lindem has given 
efficient service in various township offices and has 
been actively associated with educational matters as 
clerk of the school board for man_y years. In 1891 he 
was elected county commissioner and held this office 
for eight years, during which time, in company with 
his associates, M. E. Kirsch, of Crookston, and A. C. 
Reinhart, of East Grand Forks, he was identified with 
the erection of the county jail building and other 
important public improvements. He is a member of 
the Republican party but does not pledge himself to 
any political powers, pi'eferring to maintain the inde- 
pendence of his opinions. He was married in 1882, 
in Buffalo count}', Wisconsin, to Christine Thompson, 
who is a native of that state. They have a family of 
five children, Anna, who was educated in the 
University of North Dakota and is a Polk county 
teacher; Martin, who was in charge of the store in 



302 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



Itasca count}' for some years and is now fitting 
himself for the medical profession, in the University 
of North Dakota; Alfred, who was also a student at 
Grand Forks and is now managing liis father's farm; 



graduating from Concordia college, at Jloorhead, 
Minnesota, and Selma, a member of the sophmore class 
of the Grand Forks high school. Mr. Lindem and his 
family are all active members of the United Lutheran 



Oscar, who has entered the same University after church. 



JAMES DRISCOLL. 



James DriscoU, successful farmer of Huntsville 
township and a county commissioner, was born in 
County Lanark, Ontario, May 1, 1860, the sou of 
James and Johannah (O'Hearn) Driscoll, natives of 
Ireland, the former from County Cork and his wife 
from County Kerry. They came to Polk county from 
Canada in 1879 and the father bought railroad land 
in Sullivan township, four mile and a lialf from East 
Grand Forks, on the Grand Marais. Two sons, Michael 
Driscoll and John Driscoll, had preceded him the year 
previous and had secured homestead claims. The 
father became a prosperous farmer of that region, 
operating an estate of four hundred and eighty acres. 
He lived to an advanced age and died March 9, 1894, 
his wife surviving him until 1912. Of the family of 
five sons, all were farmers in Polk county. The death 
of the eldest, John Driscoll, a resident of Sullivan 
township occurred September 24, 1907. Michael 
Driscoll, Jerry Driscoll and Thomas Driscoll are 
farmers in the same township, the latter being the 
present owner of his father's farm. James Driscoll 
and the members of his family were all eonununicants 
of the Sacred Heart church at East Grand Forks. The 
subject of our sketch has resided in this county since 
his youth and for a number of years was associated 
with two of his brothers in the operation of the home 
farm. In 1891 he purchased tlie south lialf of section 
nine of Huntsville lownslii]) and entered upon bis 
independent career. This tract has continued to be 
his home, although he has extended its boundaries to 
include five hundred and eighty acres and also owns a 
quarter section on the Grand Marias, some two miles 
distant. The home farm is located four miles south- 
east of East Grand Forks and includes the former 



homestead of Z. M. Hunt, in whose honor the township 
was named. Mr. Driscoll is one of the progressive 
and enterprising agriculturists of the county and has 
l)uilt up a prosperous model estate in a justly famed 
farming community. Aside from his large operations 
as a grain farmer he is extensivel.y interested in stock 
raising and also keeps a herd of dair,y cattle. His 
place is stocked with Ilolstein and Short Horn cattle 
and he devotes a quarter section to pasturage use. 
His farm is equipped with good building and modern 
facilities for efficient farming. Not only in his private 
interests but as a citizen, Mr. Driscoll stands for 
progress and the best interests. He has given able 
.services in public office and has been honored with 
various local offices of the township, serving as super- 
visor and chairman of the township board and has 
ever exercised his influence for tlie development of the 
country's resources through drainage and good roads 
projects. He was appointed county commissioner as 
tlie successor of his brother, John Driscoll, whose 
death occurred during the third year of his term and 
at tlie next election, his appointment was endorsed at 
the polls and he was again returned to office in 1912. 
Mr. Driscoll is a member of the Republican party. 
His marriage to Anna Sullivan was solemnized 
November 23, 1891. She is a native of County 
Lanark, Ontario, the daughter of Maurice and Anna 
(Cunningham) Sullivan, of East Grand Forks. 
i\Iaurice Sullivan is a brother of Tim Sullivan, an 
eminent citizen of this county, and came to Minnesota 
when his daughter, Anna, was a small child. Mr. 
Driscoll and his wife have nine children : James, 
Lillian, Alda, a graduate of the normal school at East 
Grand Forka and a teacher in the school at Melville; 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



303 



Edna, a student in St. Marys Academj' at Milwaukee ; 
Louise, who is attending high school at East Grand 
Forks; Leonard, Charles, Mary and Ruth Frances. 



They are all members of the Sacred Heart Catholic 
church. 



WILLIAM HENRY BAILEY. 



William Henry Bailey, a prominent farmer of 
Knute township, was born in Winnabago county, Wis- 
consin, July 5, 1855. His parents were of English 
nativity and were married in Wisconsin. After the 
death of his father, his mother became the wife of 
William Rostron and was a resident of Crookston in 
the early eighties. William H. Bailey came to Crook- 
ston in 1880 and has shared in tlie activities incident 
to the rapidly developing prosperity of Polk county, 
as a public spirited citizen and successful farmer. In 
his youth he was appi-entieed to the mason trade and 
when twenty years of age, went to Michigan, where he 
was employed for a time and later removed to Iowa. 
He made the trip to Crookston in an open buggy and 
made his home there for years, having secured a posi- 
tion with the Great Northern railroad as fireman and 
brakeman. Being temporarily disabled for railroad 
work through an injury received in coupling cars, he 
decided to turn his attention to fanning and without 
inspecting the land which was to be his future home, 
filed on a homestead on Section 19 in Knute township. 
He continued his employment with the railroad for a 
few years and then devoted his efforts to his farming 
enterprise and has resided on his place since January 
8, 1884. During the first years, limited financial 
resources and the inconveniences of the sparsely 
settled and undeveloped frontier country added their 
share to the hardships which confront the pioneer 
farmer. Crookston, thirty-five miles distant acro.ss 
countrj', was the nearest railway station and the most 
accessible trading point was at Maple Bay, and this 
ten mile trip could not be made with a wagon, making 
it necessary to pack provisions on foot. For several 
years he worked at harvesting and at the various 
employment presented by local conditions, assisting in 
clearing land and digging wells and cellars and found 



a further source of revenue in dealing in cord wood, 
buying the wood for one dollar a cord and selling it 
in Erskine at a profitable increase. His first house 
was built of lumber which he hauled from Crookston. 
After three years he was enabled to purchase a team 
of oxen and to make rapid progress in the develop- 
ment of his own farm, clearing the land of the heavy 
timber and building up his present fine property. He 
has put sixty acres of the homestead under cultivation 
and has purchased eighty additional acres, all of 
which is devoted to grain and stock purposes. Like 
all progressive farmers, he is interested in raising the 
standard of farm stock and raises blooded animals and 
also keeps dairy cattle, being a patron of the co-opera- 
tive creamery at Erskine, in which he is a stockholder. 
Mr. Bailey has never been an active worker in political 
circles but in the interests of the community has senred 
as justice of peace and on the school board and has 
ever been influential in behalf of the general welfare 
and progress. In all activities of life, he has displayed 
the capable and intelligent management and enter- 
prise, which have marked his highly efficient accom- 
plishments as farmer and citizen. His estate is 
equipped with modern buildings, the house having 
been erected in 1911 and commands a fine panorama 
of Lake Sarah, one of Polk county's most beautifully 
wooded lakes and popular resorts. In 1915 Mr. 
Bailey made a valuable addition to his attractive 
residence in the installation of a carbide lighting 
plant, a material advance in the conveniences of the 
modem country home and the first innovation of the 
sort to be made in the Thirteen Towns. The plant is 
also utilized in lighting the bam. Mr. Bailey enjoys 
hunting and recalls the experiences of the earlier 
days when the large game visited this section and he 
shot bear and deer upon his own land. He was mar- 



304 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



ried in 1879 to Elizabeth Bradt, of Mankato, wlio was Robert 0. William R. Bailey aud Thomas L. Bailey 

born in "Wisconsin. Foui* children were boni to this are residents of Crookston, William R. Bailey being 

union, AVilliam R., Thomas L., Celia A., the wife of an engineer on the Great Northern railroad and the 

Herman Newman of Everett, Washington, and latter being emploj-ed in the postoffiee. 



HANS P. SOLSTAD. 



Hans P. Solstad, one of the pioneer Norwegian 
Lutheran pastors of the Red River valley, was the 
first preacher of the Norwegian Synod church to 
minister to congregations of that denomination in 
Polk county. After about seven years work in the 
ministry he was compelled by failing health to retire 
from active pastoral labor and has since resided on 
his homestead in Bygland township. 

Reverend Solstad was born in Hapedalen, near 
Christiania, Norway, August 15, 1843, he was educated 
in the public schools and gi'ew to manhood in his 
native land. At eighteen years of age he entered the 
military service of Norway and served for five years 
in the artillery corps stationed at Christiania. At the 
end of his military service he decided to emigrate to 
the United States. In July, 1866, he arrived at Albert 
Lea, Minnesota. He at once secured work. From 
1866 to 1869, he worked as a farm laborer, on railroad 
work, and in a machine shop, all the time in the 
southern part of the state. 

In 1869 he entered Luther College at Decorah, Iowa, 
as a student in the normal course, graduating from 
that course three years later. He then taught 
parochial school for one year in congregations near 
Albert Lea. Several of his friends working as 
ministers had for several years been encouraging him 
to take up the study of theology preparatory to enter- 
ing the field as a minister of the gospel to his Nor- 
wegian American countrymen. This also became his 
choice for a calling and accordingly in 1873 he en- 
rolled as a student in the Concordia Theological 
Seminary of St. Louis, Missouri. This institution had 
at that time the great German Lutheran theologian 
Dr. C. F. Walther as its president. After two years 
of study at St. Louis i\Ir. Solstad was transferred to 



the Seminary at Springfield, Illinois. Here he was 
graduated in the spnng of 1876. 

After his graduation he received through tlie 
Church Council of the Norwegian Synod a call from 
three recently organized frontier congregations in 
Polk county, Minnesota, and one in Grand Forks, 
North Dakota.. 

In July, 1876, he was ordained with five other young 
men for the ministry by President, Rt. Rev. H. A. 
Preus in the Washington Prairie church, near 
Decorah, Iowa. In the fall of 1876 he came west to 
take charge of his call: The Bygland, congregation 
in Bygland township ; Our Saviours, at Crookston ; 
St. Peters, on the Sand Hill river and Walle, in Grand 
Forks county. North Dakota. These congregations 
were organized about two years previous by Rev. B. 
Harstad, of Mayville, North Dakota, who had tem- 
porarily under great difficulties and hardships minis- 
tered to their spiritual needs. The Bygland congre- 
gation had begun the erection of a log church in 1876. 
The other congregations had no .special building for 
worship. Services were held in the sod houses and 
log cabins of the early settlers. In some of the congre- 
gations served by Rev. Solstad the beautiful custom 
prevailed that the family at whose house sei*vices were 
held very hospitably entertained the whole gathering 
for dinner. 

Rev. Solstad made his home in Bj'gland township. 
He received no definite salaiy from his congregations. 
In those early days of struggle and hardships no one 
had much to give. What the members of his congre- 
gations had to give, they gave gladly and generously 
towards the support of the pastor and his family. 

In 1877 in order to get a home he filed on the piece 
of land that since has been his homestead. The same 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



305 



summer members of the Bygland church hauled oak 
logs to the claim and the minister got the house built 
with the aid of the congregation and moved his family 
into it. In those early years what he could raise on 
the farm was a necessai*y supplement to the financial 
assistance his parishioners were able to make towards 
his living expenses. 

Rev. Solstad cheerfully cast his fortune with his 
people, dedicating himself to the advancement of his 
blaster's work and laboring shoulder to shoulder with 
the settlers for the upbuilding of the best in com- 
munity life. Besides his congregations he was assigned 
to minister to the spiritual needs of the scattered 
Norwegian settlers on both sides of the Red river 
extending north to the Canadian boundary. 

In performing his pastoral duties he endured all 
the hardships of the early days, of no roads and 
bridges and the settlers few and far between. Ilis 
mission field included aboiit one hundred miles of 
territory. The first year he traveled on horseback, in 
summer crossing streams in a canoe and swimming 
his horse across. Rev. Solstad organized four new 
congregations and did the first church work at many 
other places where since flourishing churches of his 
faith have grown up. But the many arduous demands 
and strenuous exertions of the work told upon his 
strength and after seven years of ministration failing 



health required his retirement. Since that time he 
has engaged in farming on his homestead which is 
located on section twenty-two, Bygland township. A 
son, Alfred Solstad, is associated with him in working 
the farm. 

Mr. Solstad was married in Freeborn count}', 
Minnesota, in 1876, to Annie Marie Hanson, who was 
educated at St. Olaf College at Northfield. Six chil- 
dren were born to them : Joseph, Peter, Martin, 
Alfred, Tiedmand and Albertina. The latter died in 
infancy and Mr. and Mrs. Solstad adopted a daughter 
Elena, who is now Mrs. Joel Ohnstad of Montfort, 
Wisconsin. Joseph, Peter and Martin were employed 
for several years as teachers in public schools in 
Minnesota and North Dakota. Martin and Tiedmand 
are now engaged in the mercantile business at Lang, 
Saskatchewan, while Joseph is superintendent of 
Rheinhardt's Sheet Metal Works at Grand Forks. 
Peter has also followed a mercantile career and is 
located at Eld red, Minnesota. 

Rev. Solstad is one of the oldest living settlers of 
the valley. He has many memories of the early years 
— of their struggles, disappointments and hardships, 
and treasured, deai'ly — memories of the friendships, 
joys and prosperity the yeare brought him ; and he is 
deeply grateful that his life was cast among the people 
in this of the-Lord-richly-blessed, Red River valley. 



FRANCIS MARION SLYTER. 



If he who makes two blades of grass grow where one 
grew before is a public benefactor, much more is the 
man who starts a new enterprise in a community, the 
development of which leads to increased prosperity 
and comfort for hundreds and greatly augments tlie 
industrial and commercial importance of the com- 
munity, entitled to this distincion and large credit for 
fruitful enterprise. Francis Marion Slyter, an exten- 
sive and progressive farmer of Andover township, has 
earned the right to such consideration. Wlien in 1912 
he located on the farm which he still occupies there 
were not twenty-five dairy cows within six miles. Now 



there are nearly ten hundred in the same territory, 
and the business is a source of great wealth and 
progress. Mr. Slyter brought ten cows and began 
making butter for sale, others having since followed 
his example with excellent results. 

Francis M. Slyter was born in Grundy county, 
Illinois, January 16, 1853. He moved to Benton 
county, Indiana, in 1872, and lived there nineteen 
yeai*s. In 1894 he changed his residence to Kossuth 
county, Iowa, where he bought a farm of 240 acres, 
which he sold in 1901 for more than double its cost. 
His two sons, L. E. and D. S. Slyter, had bought 160 



306 



compendiu:m of history and biography of polk county 



acres of Polk county land in Fairfax township, four 
miles southeast of Crookston, and their father came to 
visit them and take a look at their purchase, hut with 
no intention to make one himself. The county proved 
so attractive, however, that he soon made a selection 
of his present farm purchasing at a cost of $27.50 an 
acre. It comprises 320 acres and was then almost 
wholly unimproved. He has expended about $5,000 
in substantial and lasting improvements, and has the 
land well drained and all under cultivation and yield- 
ing excellent crops. 

Mr. Slyter's place is the north half of section 25, 
Andover township, and lies four miles south of Crooks- 
ton. It is devoted principally to raising oats and 
barley and raising and feeding cattle, the strain pre- 
fei-red being the Shorthorn breed. He has an artesian 
well 227 feet deep, which furnishes an abundant 
supply of excellent soft water for all purposes. His 
grain crop in 1915 amounted to some 7,000 bushels, 
and the yield per acre has been fair for years. He 
feeds regularly about 20 head of cattle and milks seven 
cows. Almost immediately after coming he began to 
set out some fruit trees and practically all tlie small 
fruits, including gi'apes, his success with them having 
been very gratifying. 



Mr. Slyter had $6,000 in cash, live stock and some 
portions of a farm equipment. These combined with 
iudustiy, good management and up-to-date farming 
methods he has wrought out results that are in the 
highest degree satisfactory. His land was at first over- 
run with wild growths destructive of regular crops, 
lie follows a judicious system of crop rotation, thus 
keeping the land in prime condition. In 1913 his 
profits totaled $3,300 and in 1915 they reached $3,700. 
He has refused offers of nearly $75 an acre for his 
fann and discouraged all attempts to get him to sell. 

Mr. Slyter was married in Grundy county, Illinois, 
in 1870, to Miss Anna E. Steep, a native of Cincinnati, 
Ohio. They have five children ; Lewis Edward, who 
lives at Red Lake Falls, Minnesota; Derwin Sheri- 
dan, a farmer near Akron, Colorado; Ada Helen, the 
wife of J. F. McAdams, of Sioux City, Iowa; Clai'a 
Belle, the wife of Ray Murphy, of Chariton, Iowa, 
and Irene Winifred, the wife of Walter Mergan, of 
Andover township. During the last few years Mr. 
Slyter has been a member of the school board and he 
is now also supervisor of the township. He is a Re- 
publican in political alliance and a Presbyterian in 
j-eligious affiliation, membership being in Crookston. 



HEURICK JOHANSON. 



This progressive and prosperous farmer of Higdem 
township, this county, proprietor of the Valley Home 
farm, fifteen miles north and one west of Grand Forks 
and seven miles southeast of Oslo, has demonstrated 
iu his career in this locality the value of persistency 
and determination when conditions are discouraging. 
He was born in Sweden May 3, 1856, and came to tlie 
United States in June, 1879, locating in Renville 
county, Minnesota, where one of his sisters was then 
living. He still o^ved for his transportation from his 
native land when he arrived in this state, but he 
worked at his trade of shoemaking in the different 
homes around him, making shoes for whole families, 
also did farm work and was employed one Avinter in 



a shoe shop at Sacred Heart in Renville county, and 
so got a start after having devoted all his earnings to 
helping his parents before leaving home. 

On May 8, 1880, Mr. Johanson filed on his first 
quarter section of land, Carl Krinersberg having come 
to this county with him. His location was in Section 
24, Higdem township, and the next fall he built a 
dwelling on it, borrowing some of the money needed 
for the purpose as he had paid part of the passage 
nioney for one of his parents and a brother. His 
dwelling was a little log house the logs for which he 
had to bring from Snake river four miles cast of his 
home. For some time he cut cord wood in the winter 
and worked on railroad grading in tlie summer, hiring 




u Koiui 1-; K Kc).\ isi '1 1 N A l;i;l 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



307 



a mau to break and cultivate his land. lu the spring 
of 1883 he bought a yoke of oxen and rented a piece 
of land in order to get a crop. The laud was wet and 
tlie crop was poor, and the next year the frost injm-ed 
his graiu and it brought a low price. Many settlers 
left the neighborhood at this time but he determined 
to remain, and in a short time he began to prosper. 

As soon as he was able he bought forty acres of 
railroad land at $6 an acre, and a little later another 
tract of forty acres at $10 an acre and still later forty 
acres more for which he paid $32.50 an acre. He also 
began to buy young cattle, but butter was only six 
cents a pound and eggs six cents a dozen, so he could 
not make much of his venture in this direction. His 
farm now comprises 280 acres and is registered on the 
county records as "Valley Home Farm" in English, 
"Dalhem" in Swedish. It has a fine grove or wind- 
break planted by Mr. Johanson in 1896, and the .judi- 
cial ditch, No. 1, through Polk and Marshall and into 
Pennington and Red Lake counties, forming an outlet 
from Snake to Red river, passes his farm on the 



section line, although he had good drainage without 
this aid. He also owns ten acres of timber land on 
Red river. 

Mr. Johanson was married in 1886 to Miss Eliu 
Johanson, whom he knew in Sweden, her native land, 
and who came to this country to become his wife. 
They have four children : Elin, who is a senior in the 
Duluth Normal school and has been a teacher in Polk 
and Marshall counties; Hjalmar, Hilma and David, 
who are living at home. The members of the family 
hold membership in the Swedish Mission church. In 
relation to public affairs Mr. Johanson is independent, 
striving always to give his support to the candidates 
best qualified for the offices they seek. He is now in 
his twenty-fifth year of continuous service as town- 
ship assessor, an office he does not desire but continues 
to fill from a sense of duty, and has been chairman 
of the school board for nineteen or twenty successive 
years, also one year town supervisor, one year road 
overseer and three years justice of the peace. 



GEORGE KRONSCHNABEL. 



Having been a resident of Polk county for thirty- 
five years, with the exception of about eighteen 
months, during which he lived in Winona, Minne- 
sota, and having been in business in Fertile since 
1886, and all the time zealous and enterprising in 
the service of the community in various ways, George 
Kronschnabel, president of the Fertile Brick and 
Tile company, has proven himself to be a valuable 
citizen and a stimulating force for progi'ess among 
the people of this section, and he is esteemed by 
them in accordance with the services he has rendered 
and is still rendering them and his sterling integrity 
as a man and fidelity and ability as a public official. 

Mr. Kronschnabel was born in Cleveland, Ohio, 
June 14, 1857, the son of George and Mary (Kling- 
hom) Kronschnabel, who moved to Minnesota in 
1862 and located in Carver county. The father died 
in San Antonio, Texas, in 1903, at the age of seventy- 



six years. He operated a sawmill for a number of 
years in Carver county, and his son George assisted 
him in the work. He was educated and grew to man- 
hood in Carver county and there learned the trade 
of tinsmith. This trade was his regular occupation 
for about sixteen years, but other and better oppor- 
tunities opened before him and he was prompt in 
embracing them and making them serviceable to his 
advancement. 

In January, 1880, Mr. Kronschnabel became a resi- 
dent of Polk county, and in 1886 he opened a hard- 
ware store at Fertile. He continued in this line of 
trade until 1898, since which time he has given his 
attention wholly to the manufacture of brick and 
tile and the management of his farm of 160 acres in 
the vicinity of Fertile, except what has been required 
by his position as director of the First State Bank 
of Fertile and as president of the village council, 



308 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



which lie also served for a time as treasurer. He 
was the first president of the eouncil and has oeeu- 
pied that office altogether seven years, filling it with 
ahility and studious attention to the welfare of the 
community and to its entire satisfaction. 

In 1897 Mr. Kronsehnabel started what is now the 
tile factory as a sand mold brick plant. In 1900 the 
business was incorporated with him as president of 
the company, which he has been ever since, and in 
1903 the manufacture of tile and hollow blocks was 
added to the operations of the factor}-. It has a 
capacity of 40,000 brick a day, or 4,000,000 a year. 
Mr. Kronsehnabel is the manager of the business as 
well as president of the company. Brown Duckstad 
is vice president of the company and E. B. Hanson 
is secretary and treasurer. The industry is a leader 



in this part of the state and has an extensive and 
steadily expanding trade. It is admirably managed 
and enjoys hearty and widespread popularity, which 
is based wholly on the excellence of its products and 
the strict intejn'ity which governs the business. 

Mr. Kronsehnabel is a member of the Order of Odd 
Fellows and the Workmen of the World. He has 
been a director of the First State Bank of Fertile 
from its organization, and has taken an earnest and 
serviceable interest in every worthy undertaking for 
the good of his home community. On June 27, 1882, he 
was united in marriage with Miss Sophia Oehler, a 
native of Rice county, Minnesota. Four children 
have been born to them, two of whom died in infancy. 
The two living are Alma O. and George C. 



JULIUS BRADLEY. 



Julius Bradley, jiresideut of the Scandia Bank of 
Erskine and a well known farmer in Knute township, 
was born in Norway, February 15, 1859. He grew 
to manhood in his native land and came to the L^nited 
States in 1881 to seek his fortunes amid the oppor- 
tunities of the northwest. He possessed no capital 
but sturdy ambition and iiidustriousness and paid 
for his passage from his first earnings in the new 
coimtiy. During the first years he worked in the 
harvest fields and at other farm labor, in Wisconsin 
and Minnesota, coming to Northfield, Minnesota, in 
1882. In the following year he secured a homestead 
in the newly opened Thirteen Towns. The payment 
on his claim demanded all his savings and for a few 
years he continued to work as a harvester and in 
other employment. During tlie winter months he 
was employed in the lumber woods and also worked 
on the log drives on tlie Clearwater and ^Mississippi 
rivers. Able and thrifty management soon brought 
success to his farming operations, which have stead- 
ily increased. Mr. Bradley now owns six hundred 
acres of land in Knute township, which is included in 
three different farms and loerted in sections tliirtv- 



two, twenty-eight, twenty-one, twenty-two and 
twenty-seven. This land is all operated under the 
direct management of Mr. Bradley and he has put 
under cultivation some three hundred acres of wild 
land. Aside from grain farming he engages in the 
raising of high grade short horn stock and keeps a 
herd of ten dairy cows. Mr. Bi'adley lias always 
been active in township affairs and has ably served 
his fellow citizens as township treasurer and as 
treasurer of the school district, having held the latter 
office for many years. He is a member of the Repub- 
lican party but has never allowed party lines to 
influence his personal convictions in political ques- 
tions. Mr. Bradley is further identified with those 
who have established the agricultural and financial 
prosperity of Polk county as one of the organizers 
and the largest stock holder in the Scandia Bank at 
Erskine. He has been most prominently associated 
with the direction of this successful institution, 
having been president, since its incorporation. Mr. 
Bradley was married in 1886 to Martha Bensen, who 
came to Minnesota as a child and to Polk county in 
1883. They have a family of seven daughters and 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



309 



two sons: Gust; Gina; Bertha; Julia; Ida, who is 
engaged in the millinery business at Fergus Falls; 
Anna, a trained nurse and employed in the same 
town ; Gyda, Joseph and Martha. The Bradley home 



is four miles south of Erskine, in section twenty- 
eight of Knute township and occupies a delightful 
location on the shore of a beautiful lake. 



ANDREW THORESON. 



Andrew Thoreson, a well known farmer of Lessor 
township, is a native of Minnesota, born in Dakota 
county, March 3, 1861, and has devoted all of his 
career to the agricultural activities of the northwest, 
tleveloping wild land and advancing the growth of 
prosperous farming enterprises. At the age of 
twenty-one he took a pre-emption claim near Grafton, 
North Dakota, and lived on that place until 1892, when 
he came to Polk county, having heard of the merits of 
this section through relatives who were then living 
there, and bought the two hundred and forty acres of 
laud in section twelve of Lessor township, which is his 
present home, paying about thirteen hundred dollars 
for the tract, which had no improvements and but a 
few acres cleared. - He has put some one hundred and 
forty acres under cultivation and also owns one hun- 
dred and twenty acres in section thirty-six of Lambert 
township, in Red Lake county, about two miles 
north of the home farm. This latter place is crossed 
by Hill river and is unusually rich bottom land and 



devoted to the raising of grain. All of this land has 
been developed by Mr. Thoreson, who has also been 
instrumental in securing good roads through that 
section and a substantial steel bridge on the river. 
His home farm provides much good pasturage and 
he engages in stock and dairy farming, raising 
thoroughbred Short Horn cattle, and is a patron of 
the Clover Leaf creamery, manufacturers of cheese, 
a local enterprise operating to the profit and advan- 
tage of the farmers of that region. Mr. Thoreson 
has ever taken an active interest in any project 
tending to the general welfare and progress and has 
given able service as a member of the township board 
and school board. Like many of the settlers of 
northern Minnesota he is a great enjoyer of out of 
door sports and participated in the deer hunts which 
formerly afforded great sport in this country. He 
was married in 1893 to Julia Sunstahl of Polk 
county, and they have seven children : Tena, Salma, 
Bertha, Len, Alpha, Lillie and Alphonso. 



PEDER K. ESPESETH. 



Peder K. Espeseth, of Badger township, is one of 
the successful farmers of this region who have 
notably demonstrated the latent riches of Polk 
county soil and advanced it to its present prosperous 
standard as an agricultural community. He was 
born in Norway, December 27, 1868, and is the son 
of a well-known pioneer of Badger township, Knute 
Espeseth. His brother, G. K. Espeseth, president of 
the State bank of Erskine, is prominently allied with 
the commercial activities of the county. The 
Espeseth family came to the United States in 1882, 
when Peder Espeseth was a lad of fourteen, and after 



spending a short time in Chippewa county, Minne- 
sota, Knute Espeseth squatted on land in the Thir- 
teen Towns, awaiting its re-opening for settlement. 
A nephew, Gilbert Espeseth, and Mr. Evanson accom- 
panied him to Polk county and also chose locations. 
On the opening of the land in 1883 he filed on his 
homestead, which is the present home of Peder 
Espeseth, in section three of Badger township. Knute 
Espeseth devoted his life to the development of his 
land and died there in 1906, the death of his wife 
occurring in the same year. Peder Espeseth 's life 
has been spent on this homestead, which, in his youth, 



310 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



he assisted his father to elear of timber and break 
for farming. During the later years of his father's 
life he assumed entire direction of the place and 
since his death has become the owner of the three 
hundred and sixty acres, which includes the home- 
stead and part of a half section, which they pur- 
chased iu partnership as partially improved land. 
The first home, a long house, was replaced by Knute 
Espeseth with a modern structure, and he also 
erected the good barns which now occupy the estate. 
Peder Espeseth applies the most progressive and 
enterprising methods to his farming interests and 
has met with marked success in all his activities. 
He has two hundred acres in cultivation for grain 
and harvests an annual crop of some 3,500 bushels, 
but does not give his entire attention to this phase, 
utilizing the balance of his fertile acres for his 
extensive operations as a stock man. He keeps a 
large herd of Short Horn cattle, is a breeder of 



Percherou horses, and raises sheep and hogs, selling 
two carloads of stock each year. He also has fifteen 
dairy cows and is a patroa and stockholder in the 
co-operative creamery at Erskiue. Mr. Espeseth 's 
prosperous and busy farm exhibits the results of 
careful management and intelligent study of the 
farm business, in its adequate equipment and effi- 
ciency and profitable operations. In his barn is to 
be found modern improvements for the feeding and 
watering of stock, and to facilitate the routine farm 
work. Mr. Espeseth is a stockholder in the First 
State bank at Erskine. He was niaD'ied in IIUO to 
Gina Rud, who is the daughter of Jorgen Rud, a 
farmer in Garden township, near Fertile. They have 
two children, Mildred and Clarence. Mr. Espeseth 
and his wife are members of the Saron United Luth- 
eran church, of which his parents were original 
members. 



FRANK 0. JOHNSON. 



Frank 0. Johnson, a well known farmer of Lessor 
township, is a native of Sweden, born December 29, 
1861. Since coming to Polk county he has been 
engaged in successful farming operations and has 
been actively associated with all phases of public 
development. Mr. Johnson came to the United 
States, as a young man, in 1880 and spent four years 
working on a stock farm in Yellow Medicine county, 
Minnesota. Industry and ambition led to successful 
retrenchment of his wages and he was enabled to 
send pa.ssage money to his parents, that they, with 
the other members of the family, might join him in 
his new life. In 1883 his father, J. H. Johnson, 
secured a homestead claim in section six of King 
township, and in the following year Frank Johnson 
purchased two yoke of oxen and conveyed his mother 
and family to the Polk county home. The purchase 
of the oxen and the outfitting of the family in their 
new quarters exhausted his funds, and before em- 
barking upon his own farming enterprise he was 



compelled to return to his former employment that 
he might accumulate the necessary capital. In a 
year or so his thrifty endeavors provided him funds 
to attain his ambition, and in 1885 he returned to 
Polk county and filed on a homestead in section 
twenty-seven of Lessor township, about three and 
one-half miles north of Mcintosh. His parents re- 
mained on their farm for several years and now 
reside in Mcintosh. Frank Johnson erected a small 
log shack and barn and entered upon laborious tasks 
of the pioneer farmer. The years of labor and able 
management have developed a prosperous farming 
property and some eighty acres have been cleared 
of timber and put under cultivation. The present 
house was erected in 1900 of spruce and tamarack 
logs which were hauled from Gully, twenty miles 
distant, and in the following year a good barn was 
built. The house has since been converted in out- 
ward appearance to a modem ft-ame home. Mr. 
Johnson also owns a quarter section in section nine- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



311 



teen, Lessor township, four miles from the home 
farm, which he utilizes as hay and pasture land, 
engaging quite extensively in stock farming and 
raising Short Horn and Red Polled cattle. Through- 
out the many years of his citizenship Mr. Johnson 
has been identified with the public activities of the 
community and has been honored with the various 
local offices of public trust, serving for many years 
on the township board and for twenty years as 
treasurer of the school board, but perhaps his most 
notable service to public progress has been as road 
boss and supervisor, an office which he has held 
off and on since 1885 and in which capacity he has 
directed the construction of many roads in the 
township. He was identified with the movement 
which instigated the building of the first church by 



a Swedish congregation. This edifice was erected 
of logs and stood until 1915, although the congre- 
gation had been for some time disbanded. Mr. 
Johnson has spent two years in Canada, where he 
held a claim for his son and also invested in a half 
section of land near the Lake of the Woods. Mr. 
Johnson has been twice married ; his first wife, Bena 
Hanson, of Chippewa county, Minnesota, to whom 
he was married in 1886, died in the following year. 
In 1889 he was married to Hannah Sjoden, like her 
husband, a native of Sweden, who came to Winnipeg 
as a young girl and later visited her sister, Mrs. 
J. E. Carlson. To his second union were bom seven 
children : Henry, Bannard, Fred E. and Arthur, who 
are located on land at the Lake of the Woods, Can- 
ada; William, Hilmer and Olive. 



JAMES I. PETERSON. 



James I. Peterson, a pioneer farmer of Grand 
Forks township, was born in Sweden, July 24, 1853, 
and came to the United States with his parents in 
1869, when sixteen years of age. After locating for 
a short time at LaCrosse, Wisconsin, they removed 
to Goodhue county, Minnesota, and later to Renville 
coxinty, where James Peterson secured a homestead 
of eighty acres. After several years there, in com- 
pany with Louis Larson, with whom he had been 
associated in the operation of a threshing machine, 
he traveled farther west looking for land and after 
driving through Dakota, located on a pre-emption 
claim in Polk county. In May, 1877, he was married 
to Hannah Larson, born in Christiania, Norway, 
June 26, 1858, at the same time his two sisters were 
united in marriage, Agnes Peterson to Louis Larson 
and Emma Peterson to Andrew Norleen, and the 
three couples immediately set out to find homes in 
the western part of the state. Mr. Peterson and Mr. 
Larson located in Polk county and there Mr. Norleen 
joined them later and for a number of years has 
made his home at Winger. Mr. Peterson settled on 
his land in Grand Forks township in June, 1877, and 



with a few dollars and the thrifty ambition which 
Avas the usual capital of the pioneer entered upon 
the arduous and often discouraging task of develop- 
ing a profitable farming enterprise. Buying out the 
right of a settler on a tree claim, he filed on the 
claim himself and here set out six acres of box 
elders, which now presents one of the most attrac- 
tive sights in the county and is one of the finest 
groves in the northwest. During the first summer 
he broke some eight acres of land and in the winter 
was compelled to seek employment in the lumber 
woods near Brainerd, Minnesota, but this proved an 
unfortunate year for lumber work and his months 
of labor brought him little financial advance. There- 
after he devoted his efforts to his land which has 
since brought him steadily increasing prosperity 
with the exception of two years when the crops were 
destroyed by hail stonns. He resumed his partner- 
ship with Mr. Larson in a threshing outfit and they 
enjoyed a large patronage among neighboring farm- 
ers for a number of years. His first agricultural 
activities were devoted entirely to the raising of 
grain, but of recent years his interest has included 



312 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



stock and daii-y farming. His first home was a log 
cabin on the pre-emption claim, where he also 
erected his second house. In 1897 he built his pres- 
ent home on the tract secured as a tree claim. This 
is in section two of Grand Forks township and five 
miles north of East Grand Forks. Mr. Peterson has 
ever been actively identified with the best interests 
and local development and has served as township 
supervisor and as one of the first directors on the 
school board, ably jiromoted the establishment of 



the present eflScient school system. He is a member 
of the Grand Marais Lutheran church, which was 
erected on his land which he donated for the pur- 
I)ose and of which he continues to be a faithful sup- 
porter. Mr. Peterson and his wife have five chil- 
dren, Emma, the wife of Thorjus Morken, of Thief 
River Falls ; Arthur, who also resides in Thief River 
Falls; AValter, Clarence and Oscar, who reside at 
home. 



BERNT J. HAGEN. 



This now prosperous and well conditioned farmer 
has reached his estate of worldly comfort and inde- 
pendence through much tribulation, but he has never 
lost his nerve or spared his efforts to advance his 
interests, and in spite of his adversities and serious 
losses he has made steady progress by reason of his 
persistent and wisely directed industry and good 
management. He was bom in Norway, November 
17, 1851, and came to the United States in 1871, 
locating at Spring Grove, Houston county, Minne- 
sota. He did grading work on the railroads and 
followed farming for a few years, but lost his crops 
by the ravages of chinch bugs. In spite of this dis- 
aster, however, he managed to save $200, and then 
made jaunts about the country looking it over with 
a view to selecting a permanent location. 

In the spring of 1876 his money was all gone, and 
he came to Polk county. One year later, 1877, his 
sister, Mrs. 0. 0. Hoff, came and homesteaded a 
quarter section joining Mr. Ilagen. Soon after his 
arrival in this county he pre-empted eighty acres of 
his present home and took up eighty more as a home- 
stead. He located on that land in the spring of 1876, 
being the first man to settle on the prairie in what is 
now Grand Forks township, his farm being in 
section twenty-four, two miles north of East Grand 
Forks, and his dwelling house on this farm being one 
of the best in the county of its class and size. His 
first house was a little log shack twelve feet square, 
with a straw and sod roof. Yet poor as this was its 



destruction by fire was a serious embarrassment to 
him. 

After the loss of the little shack ilr. Ilagen built 
a larger and more pretentious log house, which was 
about the best one in that part of the county for 
years. It was long used as a church alternately with 
the residence of Mrs. A. D. Steele, there being at 
that time no real church edifice within many miles 
of this section. 

In the course of a little while Jlr. Ilagen obtained 
a yoke of steers. He bought them wild and then 
broke them so that he could drive them anywhere. 
He used the opportunities available to him to break 
up as much of his land as possible, and in the mean- 
time obtained some work on barges on the Red river, 
which helped to provide him with the necessaries of 
life. For a number of years he either kept a bach- 
elor establishment or had a sister keeping house for 
him, but in 1882 he was married to Miss Dorothy 
ilidtmoen, a daughter of Ole and Ella Midtmoen, 
and born in Norway, but brought to this country 
when she was eight years old. She is a sister of 
Peter Olson, a sketch of whom will be found in this 
work. 

The first five years of Mrs. Ilagen 's life in this 
country were passed in Iowa county, "Wisconsin, and 
at the end of that period she accompanied her par- 
ents to this county. Her father had settled on land 
close to Mr. Hagen's and built a house on it. Then, 
in 1878, his wife, Dorothy, and her brother Peter, 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



313 



came to the farm where he was. Mr. Hagen met the 
wife, son and daughter at Fisher's Landing with his 
ox team and hauled them to the farm. Ilis marriage 
with Miss Dorothy occurred when she was but seven- 
teen years of age. She was resolute in spirit, always 
ready to take what came in the way of duty, and 
for one summer worked out in the employ of Robert 
Anderson's family. Her father's old homestead is 
now owned by Andrew Peterson. 

Mr. and Mrs. Hagen were mari'ied by I. Thorelson, 
of Grand Foi'ks, a minister there. By this time he 
owned horses, and he was more prosperous and 
making better progress than he had been, but he still 
lost crops by hail, one storm being so violent that it 
killed everything he had growing, scattered his 



stock and forced him to protect his head with his 
boots, and the hail stones lay in heaps on the ground 
for hours after falling. Frost also injured his crops 
frequently. He was early in the field in this section 
with a threshing outfit, but he was obliged to steer 
his first engine with teams. 

He has been a member of Grand Marais Lutheran 
church and one of its prominent workers ever since 
he settled here. He and his wife became the parents 
of ten children, nine of whom are living: Olof, 
Thoi-val, Emma, Ode, Bennett, Julia, Ida, Nina and 
Arthur. They are all at home with their parents 
yet, the only break in the family circle occurring by 
the death of a son named Adolph, who died when he 
was five years old. 



ANDREW L. STEELE. 



Andrew L. Steele, a successful farmer of Gi'and 
Forks township, is a native of Sweden and came to 
Polk county in 1879. He was born IMarch 5, 1855, 
and grew to manhood in his native land, where he 
was employed in an iron mine. In 1877 he came to 
the United States and for a time worked in the lum- 
ber yards at Minneapolis. Subsequently he spent a 
number of years as a lumber man and railroad 
laborer, spending the winters in the lumber woods 
and the summer season in railroad grading. It was 
in the pursuit of the latter occupation that he came 
to Polk county, Avorking on the eonstniction of the 
road bed between Fi-shers Landing and Grand Forks. 
Ambitious to secure an education, he availed himself 
of every opportunity to advance himself, using his 
carefully saved capital for this purpose. After 
gaining the use of the English language through his 
own studies, he spent two years in the public schools 
at Red Wing, Minnesota, and later studied for a 
year in the Gustavus Adolphus college, at St. Peter. 
In 1879 lie took a homestead in section eight of 
Northland township and since that time has devoted 
his attention to farming, living on his homestead 

until 1887, when he was married to Caroline Eriek- 
20 



son. She is a native of Sweden and came to Brain- 
erd, Minnesota, 1877, as a young girl, to join her 
brother, Peter M. Lagerquist. In 1880, she came to 
Polk county, immediately after her marriage to Ole 
Eriekson, who had located in Grand Forks township 
two years previous. She has since continued to 
make her home on this farm, where the death of Mr. 
Eriekson occuiTed in 1884, at the age of thirty-five. 
He was a well known farmer of that section and was 
prominent in township affaii'S. There were four 
children bom to this marriage, three of whom are 
now living, Edith Caroline, the wife of Adolph Lar- 
son, of East Grand Forks; Minnie Amanda, who 
married her cousin, Andrew Eriekson, and lived on 
the farm which they bought of P. M. Lagerquist, 
until her death three years after ; and Oscar Herbert, 
who is a rural mail carrier, located at East Grand 
Forks. Upon his marriage, Mr. Steele assumed the 
management of his wife's farm, which he operated 
with his own land until some ten years ago, when he 
sold his homestead in Northland township and has 
since added to the home farm in section two, Grand 
Forks township, making an estate of two hundred 
and ten acres. In 1898 he erected the present pleas- 



314 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



ant farm home and has steadily added to the im- 
provement of the property, prospering in his various 
agricultural enterprises. As a member of the school 
board he has given able service to the advancement 
of the best interests of the community. Mr. Steele 



and his wife have two children, Carrie Mabel Eloise, 
Avho married James Power and lives in East Grand 
Forks, and "Walter Andre. Mr. Steele and his 
family are faithful supporters of the Swedish 
Lutheran church. 



DAVID WILL. 



David Will, a successful farmer of Huntsville 
township, is a native of Wisconsin and came to Polk 
county in 1882. He was born in Waukesha county, 
Wisconsin, July 29, 1862, and at an early age re- 
moved with his parents to Blue Earth county, Min- 
nesota, where he grew to manhood. On coming to 
Polk county, he worked at whatever livelihood the 
country afforded, at Fisher for a time and for sev- 
eral years on the farm of Mr. Gilmour in Nesbit 
township. After six years of steady labor he had 
accumulated a small capital which enabled him to 
finance a farming enterprise on rented land, where 
he remained for three years and then bought the 
([uarter section in section two of Huntsville town- 
ship, which is his present home. This tract con- 
tained no buildings and but a few acres of cultivated 
land and Mr. Will entered upon his operations under 
the handicap of debt. He erected buildings and 
began the development of his property and has 



worked his way lo success through determination 
and unfailing industry, energetically overcoming 
failure and discouragement. In the first year he 
suffered the loss of his crops and for a number of 
years was able to make but little progress toward 
prosperity but able management and hard work 
have brought him to the goal of the successful agri- 
culturist. He later bought eighty acres of railroad 
land and for many years has rented laud and 
operates two hundred and forty acres aside from the 
home quarter. lie engages principally in grain 
farming, harvesting some 8,500 bushels in 191.5 
and also is interested in stock and dairy farming, 
and selling dairy products to private customers in 
Grand Forks. I\Ir. Will is interested in all matters 
of public moment and community welfare and is a 
township supervisor. His marriage to Mary Fergu- 
son occurred in 1892. She is the daughter of Donald 
Ferguson, a farmer in Winona county, Minnesota. 



LUDWIG LARSON. 



With a farm of 306 acres in Esther township, 
fourteen miles north of Grand Forks, in section ten, 
which is one of the best farms in the Red River val- 
ley, and owning in addition a well improved home- 
stead, which is occupied and cultivated by his son, 
Ludwig Larson is well fixed in a worldly way and 
in a position to almost bid defiance to adversitj\ 
He was born in Nor^vay, June 12, 1862, the son of 
Johannes and Maren Larson, and came with them to 
the United States in 1872. The family at first located 
in Renville county, Minnesota, and lived there until 
1877, when its residence was changed to Polk county. 



On his arrival in this county the father took up a 
homestead, which is the northwest quarter of sec- 
tion ten, and is a part of the farm on which his son 
Ludwig now lives. The father built a log house 
which is still standing, but which he was not allowed 
to occupy long, for he died about two years later 
at the age of forty-seven. His widow afterward 
maiTied Martin Ilillard and passed the remainder 
of her days on the adjoining farm, where she died 
in 1892, and where Mr. Hillard also died. 

The Larson famil.y was one of the first to settle in 
this locality. Its nearest neighbor was Mr. Hanson, 




) 




KELS YA8E.\DEX 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



315 



whose farm was north of the Larson home. All the 
rest of the surrounding country for many miles was 
prairie in its wild condition. The father was a 
carpenter, but after his arrival in this county de- 
voted himself to fanning, but worked incidentally 
at his trade. He and his wife were the parents of 
five children, four of whom are living. Those be- 
sides Ludwig are : Gena, who is now the wife of 
H. H. Flatten; Martin Juel, who is now a city coun- 
cilman in Southern Minnesota, and Carl, who is in 
business at Thief River Palls. Anton died at the 
age of ten j'cars. 

Ludwig Larson was seventeen years old at the 
time of his father's death and had to take charge of 
the farm as all the other sons were still young. 
When he reached the age of twenty-one he took up a 
homestead for himself, the southwest quarter of 
section tAvelve, Esther township, on which he erected 
some buildings and lived until after his mother's 
death. He then bought out the other heirs of the old 
place and to this he has since added 200 acres, so 
that his home farm now contains 306 acres, about 
eighty acres of which is timber laud but none of it 
touches the Red river. He paid $30 an acre for the 
additional 200 acres. He has erected a new dwelling 



house on the farm and some three years ago he 
built a new barn and other outbuildings. Grain is 
his principal production and in 191.5 liis crop was 
2,060 bushels of wheat and 1,400 bushels of other 
cereals. He also keeps thirty head of cattle, Red 
Polled stock being his favorite brand, and raises a 
number every year, keeping the steers until they 
reach maturity. 

Mr. Larson has taken an active part in public 
affairs in his township, having served on the town- 
ship board almost ever since he came of age. He is 
a republican in politics and a Lutheran in religious 
affiliation, belonging to the United Lutheran church 
at Grand Marais. At the age of twenty-one he was 
married to Miss Annie Erickson, a native of Nor- 
way, who came to Polk county about two years 
prior to her marriage. They have had eight chil- 
dren, seven of whom are living: John, who is 
operating the homestead taken up by his father; 
Clara, who is the wife of Arthur Peterson, of Pen- 
nington county, Minnesota; Gena Matilda, who is 
the wife of Henry Bang, of Higdem township, and 
Regna, Carl Ludwig, Alma Christine and Mabel 
Sophia, who are living at home. A son named Emil 
Albert died when he was about twenty years old. 



NELS VASENDEN. 



During the thirteen years of his residence in Polk 
county Nels Vasenden, a prominent business man of 
Fertile and secretary of the Polk County Agricul- 
tural Pair association, has contributed in many ways 
to the progress and development of the county, hav- 
ing taken an active and serviceable part in its busi- 
ness activities, social life and public affairs. While 
he is still a young man, he is very energetic and pro- 
gressive, with extensive intelligence, good judgment 
and a spirit of enterprise that overcomes obstacles 
and meets every I'cquirement of dutj^ witli courage 
and resourcefulness. 

Mr. Vasenden was born in Norway, February 2-5, 
1881, and was reared and educated in his native land, 



where he remained until he attained his majority. In 
December, 1902, he came to the LTnited States and 
located at Fertile, where he was employed for a time 
by his uncle, Dr. Arne Nelson, then the leading phy- 
sician and druggist of this part of the county. After 
a time he left the employ of his uncle and pass'^d 
about eight months working on a farm, but at the end 
of that period he returned to Fertile, and thereafter 
he lived with the doctor until the death of the latter, 
which occurred in May, 1908. 

This event opened a new chapter with enlarged op- 
portunities in the life of Mr. Vasenden. He was 
appointed administrator of his uncle's estate, and in 
October, 1909, he took over the drug business which 



316 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



that estimable geutlemau had started and which ho 
owned at the time of his death. He has always taken 
an earnest interest in the affairs of Fertile and has 
served as village recorder. He is now secretarj^ of 
the Polk County Agricultural Fair association, and 
in this position he has wide scope for his ability and 
enterprise and is employing them igreatly to the 
advantage of the association and the general benefit 
of the people of the county. He is also a director of 



the First State Bank of Fertile, and is interested in 
farm lauds to the extent of 274 acres in association 
with E. B. Hanson. In church activities he also takes 
an active part as a member of the Synod Lutheran 
congregation. In fact, there is no line of endeavor 
for tlie good of the community in which he is back- 
ward, and all his efforts are guided by breadth of 
view and governed by prudence. 



OLE 0. HOFF. 



This gentleman, Avho was formerly known as Mr. 
Olson, and whose fine farm lies two miles and a half 
north of East Grand Forks, adjoining that of Bernt 
J. Ilagen, was born in Solor, Norway, February 4, 
1854, and came to the United States in 1882, with 
no capital but his strong arm, clear head and cour- 
ageous spirit, his pas.sage across the ocean not having 
been paid, and he being l>ound under a strong obli- 
gation to work even that out before he could lay up 
anything for himself or with a view to starting any 
pro.iect of his own. 

On his arrival in this country- Jlr. Hoff came direct 
to Polk county, ■where his brother, Bernt Olson, was 
already established on a homestead which he had 
taken up in 1877. Ole's first year in this county was 
passed in the employ of Samuel Ormeson as a farm 
hand, doing work to which he iiad been reared. 
When his brother Bernt took up bis homestead he also 
took uj) a ti-ee claim, and that is the land which Ole 
now owns. Bernt was killed by accident on the rail- 
road on his way home from Crookston, and at his 
death left a widow and a son named Bernhardt. A 
daughter named Teolina was born after her father's 
death. Both of these children died early of diphtheria. 

Bernt Olson's widow, whose nuiiden name was 



Olena Johnson, took over the homestead after her 
husband's death, and for one year Ole worked on 
it. He then moved to the place he now owns and 
occupies, and he has since bought an additional 160 
acres in Roseau county. The widow liad only a log 
house on the land when he took hold of it, and he has 
since built the present buildings. He raises princi- 
pally wheat, oats and barley, and for thirty-three 
years he has been devoting all his time and energies 
to the improvement and cultivation of this farm, of 
which only thirty acres were broken when he located 
on it and began to develop it. Three years after set- 
tling here he was united in marriage with his brother 
Bernt 's widow. They have three children, Olof, 
Emma and John, all living at home. 

Mr. Hoff has been a member of the township board 
for the last si.K years, and has also been a trustee of 
Grand Marais Lutheran church. He was for many 
years a Republican in political faith and allegiance, 
but of late j'ears he has been independent of party 
control and uses his judgment of men in disposing of 
his vote, and in connection with his activity in public 
affairs. He is entei-prising and progressive, and is 
universally esteemed as an upright man and a very 
u.seful citizen. 



ROBERT KERR. 



Robert Kerr, of Grand Forks township, has been 
a resident of Polk county since 1879, and during 



these years has been identified with the development 
of the agricultural interests of the county. He is a 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTOKY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



317 



native of Scotland, born in Roxburgshire, March 2, 
1859, and came to America when a lad of fourteen 
years, his parents settling near Newcastle, county 
Durham, Ontario. He grew to manhood on the 
Canadian homestead and in the spring of 1879, came 
to Polk county, ambitious to secure a tract of land. 
He reached Grand Forks, a stranger in a strange 
land and without sufficient funds to engage immedi- 
ately upon his project. During the summer he 
worked for John Ireland, a Polk county farmer, and 
after several months secured a homestead in Grand 
Forks county. North Dakota, but ill health com- 
pelled him to relinquish his claim after a year's resi- 
dence and in 1880 he returned to Polk county and 
for a few years rented land along the river. He then 
purchased a part of his present farm in Grand Forks 
township, from the Culver estate, paying $25 an acre 
for the tract which was wild prairie. For some 
years he gave his attention to his farming interests, 
which also included a quarter section of land which 
he rented. In January, 1891, he was married to 
Annie Gagnon, who was then residing on her 
father's homestead, which had come into her posses- 
sion at his death. The former Gagnon homestead 
has since been the home of Mr. Kerr and his family. 
Mr. Kerr is one of the successful farmers of this 



region and devotes the greater part of his half sec- 
tion farm to the raising of grain, harvesting some 
seven thousand bushels of small grain in 1915. He is 
also interested in dairying and keeps a herd of Short 
Horn cattle. His record of public service in local 
interests has been a long and worthy one and dates 
from the time when the country was sparsely settled 
and the important projects of road and ditch build- 
ing were promoted by a few citizens and officials. 
He has been a member of the township board for 
twenty-seven years and has served as chairman for 
a number of terms. In political affairs, he is a non- 
partisan, preferring to fonn his opinion and allegi- 
ance independent of party decision. His wife is a 
native of St. Paul and the daughter of Leander 
Gagnon, who was born in Canada and was of French 
lineage. The latter was employed as a car repairer 
in Minneapolis for some years and in 1879 secured a 
homestead in section twenty-three of Grand Porks 
township, Polk county, where he lived until his 
death in 1889 when the farm became the property 
of his daughter. Mr. Kerr and his wife have four 
children, Evelyn, Ella, Walter and Hazel. Mr. Kerr 
was reared as a member of the Presbyterian church 
and his wife and family are communicants of the 
Sacred Heart Catholic church at East Grand Forks, 



RICHARD BARRETT. 



Richard Barrett, a pioneer of the county and well 
known farmer of Huntsville township, was born in 
Jefferson county, "Wisconsin, July 26, 1846. His 
parents were natives of Ireland and removed to Wis- 
consin from Rutland, Vermont, in 1830. Their 
Wisconsin homestead still remains in the possession 
of the Barrett family. Richard Barrett has been a 
resident of Huntsville township since 1878. In the 
year previous he had visited Polk county with 
Thomas Nesbit and returned to Wisconsin for a short 
time before locating and drove from Milwaukee to 
his new home, taking twenty-two days for the jour- 
ney. His homestead claim was the southeast quarter 



of section four and he later purchased the northern 
quarter and continued adding to his estate to the 
extent of seven hundred and twenty acres, all of 
which was under his management until recent years. 
One quarter section lies in Sullivan township and 
other tracts in sections one and nine of Huntsville 
township, his home having been on the latter place 
for the past thirteen years, it having formerly been 
the homestead of W. C. Sproat, who piirchased it as 
railroad land. Mr. Barrett's first home on his claim 
was a log house which a few years later he replaced 
with the farm house which now occupies it. On his 
home place he has erected good modern buildings 



■318 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



and has brought all his property to a high standard 
of development and ranks notably among the pro- 
gressive and enterprising agriculturists of Polk 
county. He has given his attention principally to 
the raising of grain and in 1915 harvested 13,000 
bushels, of which oats was his principal crop. Al- 
though not a stock farmer, he recognizes the import- 
ant feature of this phase and his farm has always 
been stocked with high grade animals and he has 
also successfully experimented with the culture of 
alfalfa and now devotes some forty acres to it. Mr. 
Barrett has ever given his earnest support to the 
promotion of the best interests of the community 
and as a public spirited citizen has rendered able 
service in the general upbuilding of the eountrj'. 
He actively seconded the opening up of the county's 



resources by railroads, giving the right of way for 
one-quarter of a mile through his farm, to the North- 
ern Pacific road. He has been called to services by 
his fellow citizens in official capacity and has 
capably discharged the duties of chairman of the 
township board for twenty years and was the first 
treasurer of the school board, continuing in that 
office for twenty-five years. Ilis marriage to Mary 
E. Salisbury occurred in 1878, in Winona, Minne- 
sota. She is a native of Columbia county, Wiscon- 
sin. Four children were born to this union, Allen 
W., who has assumed charge of home farm; Fred, 
also operating a part of his father's estate; Grace, 
a teacher in the Polk county schools, and Elsie, who 
married James Chaplin and lives in East Grand 
Forks. 



SIMON P. PEDERSON. 



This energetic and progressive fanner of Higdem 
township, whose residence is on the northwest quar- 
ter of section 26, and who formerly owned all of 
the south half of section 25 but has given his son 
160 acres of this tract, was born in Noinvay, March 
1, 1856, with the family name of Perhus, which his 
ancestors bore for generations, but which he has 
changed to the one he now bears since coming to 
the United States and taking up his residence in 
Polk county. He was 24 years old when he came 
to this country and located in Renville county, Min- 
nesota, in 1880, and still had his passage across the 
ocean and to this state to pay for. After doing this 
out of his fir.st year's labor in Renville county, 
where he worked on farms and at railroad grading, 
he had only $30 left, but he felt independent and 
full of enterprise. 

In 1884 he moved to Polk county and took uj) a 
homestead on which he built a small shed as a 
shelter. As he had no money then he was obliged 
to work out for other farmers, and this he continued 
for ten years before he did much on his own land. 
His first team was a yoke of oxen, which he used 



seven or eight years. As his property increased he 
bought additional laud, purchasing a railroad tract 
of eighty acres in section 25 at $7 an acre, another 
tract of eighty acres at $13 an acre, and a quarter 
of a section of A. D. Stephens at $20 an acre. About 
twenty years ago he bought 120 acres of the railroad 
at $10 an acre, but this tract he has since sold. 

Mr. Pederson has devoted his energies mainly to 
raising wheat and other cereals and flax. In 1915 
his crops were 4,000 bushels of wheat, 3,000 bushels 
of oats, 1,300 bushels of barley and a large quantity 
of flax. He also keeps seven or eight milk cows and 
raises some other live stock. In the public affairs 
of his township he has long taken an active part, 
giving special attention to the improvement of the 
roads and doing for their betterment a great deal 
more than the law required of him in the way of 
a road tax. He has also rendered the township val- 
uable and appreciated service as supervisor. He is 
a man of advanced and progressive ideas and does 
all he can to put them in practice in the adminis- 
tration of the township government and all matters 
connected with or growing out of it. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



319 



About twenty-eight years ago, that is, in or about 
1888, Mr. Peterson was united in marriage with Miss 
Anna S. Pederson, who was a native of Sweden. She 
died in 1907 leaving eight children: Peter S., who 
married Miss Lena Nelson and lives on a farm of 
160 acres in Section 25, Higdem township, given 
him by his father; Oscar, who died at the age of 
twenty years; Hans, who married Miss Lydia Wal- 



berg and lives on part of his father's fann; Ragna, 
who is her father's housekeeper, and Albin, Harold, 
Joseph and Amanda, the last named being reared by 
another family. The father is a member and one 
of the trustees of Kongsvenger Lutheran church, two 
and one-half miles distant from his home. He is 
well known and highly esteemed in all parts of 
the township of his home. 



THOMAS HENDRICKSON. 



The late Thomas Hendriekson, who was for many 
years one of the leading farmers of Western Polk 
county, and who died on his little farm in Sandsville 
township June 30, 1912, was a native of Sweden, 
province of Vermland, where his life began December 
22, 1855. He came to the United States with his 
father, Hendriek Leeden, and located with him in 
Renville county, Minnesota, where he lived until 1878, 
when he moved to Polk county and bought the south- 
east quarter of section 28, in Higdem township, to 
which he afterward added eighty acres which he pur- 
chased from the railroad company, and still later he 
also took up a homestead, which was the northwest 
quarter of section 26, Higdem township. On these 
tracts of land he lived until he retired from large 
operations and removed to a small farm in section 17, 
Sandsville township, on which he passed the re- 
mainder of his life. 

Owing to a rule long in use rather generally in 
Scandinavian countries the children of a man take 
as their surname the father's given name with the 
suffix "son" added. Thus this gentleman as the son 
of Hendriek Leeden became Thomas Hendriekson, and 
his children received the patronymic ' ' Thompson ' ' as 
their designation, and this all his sons and unmarried 
daughters still bear. They are alluded to in this 
sketch under that name. 

Mr. Henderson developed his homestead and 
other land into good farming ground and improved 
his several tracts with good buildings, especially the 
homestead, on which he made his headquarters for 



many years. He had 400 acres in all in Higdem 
township, and when he moved to the Sandsville town- 
ship farm, five and a half miles east, he turned the 
Higdem farm in section 28 over to his son, Henry 
Thompson, and the old homestead over to his son, 
Nels A. Thompson, whose sister, Miss Christine 
Thompson, keeps house for him as he is unmarried, 
although warmly interested in every phase of his 
township's welfare and everything that ministers to 
its progress and further development. 

The principal industry of the father on the farms 
was raising grain. He was also the first man to 
operate a threshing outfit in this section of the 
county, beginning his work in this line with horse 
power and continuing it with steam power for many 
years after that became feasible. For many years 
he was in partnership in the thrashing business with 
H. H. Oberg, of Sandsville township, and they were 
also owners of imported Percheron stallions and gave 
a great deal of attention to improving the grade of 
horses in their part of Polk county and the adjoin- 
ing country. In his later threshing activities he had 
Ole Lind as a partner. 

Mr. Hendriekson covered a wide area as a thresh- 
erman and was best known to the people of the North- 
west in that capacity. He served as treasurer of 
Higdem township for some time, and for a long period 
was one of the members of Kongsvenger Lutheran 
church, which stands one mile and a half south of 
his old home. When he located in this county he 
had no capital and his experience during his first few 



320 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



years here was very discouraging. His land was so 
wet that he could not get his team over it, and hia 
crops were more frequently less than half of what 
they should have been. But he was a man of resolute 
spirit and adhered to liis industries until success at- 
tended his efforts and prosperity followed thcni. 

Soon after he became a resident of Polk county 
Mr. Hendrick-son was married at Cokato to Miss Anna 
Nelson, also a native of Sweden but brought to this 
country and state in her childhood. She died in 1898 
leaving a family of children, seven of whom are now 
living (1916). They are: Christine, who is keeping 
house for her brother Nels on the family homestead, 
as has been stated; Henrj', who married Miss Chris- 
tine Nequist and lives in section 28, Higdem town- 
ship; Matilda, who is a trained nurse in Grand Forks; 
Nels A., who owns and cultivates the homestead; Al- 
ma, who is the wife of John Lind and lives near her 
old home; Esther, who is a student in the University 
of Minnesota and has lier home at her brother's Nils 
Thompson, and Annie, who has had her home in the 
family of Axel Mathisen, of Sandsville township, 
since the death of her mother, which occurred in giv- 



ing lier birth. I\Ir. Ilendrickson contracted a second 
marriage, which united him with Miss Mina Hend- 
rickson. They had one child, their daughter Ruth, 
who is with Iier mother on the Sandsville township 
farm. 

Nels A. Thompson, the second .sou of Thomas 
Ilendrickson, was born June 20, 1889, on the farm 
on which he is now living, and has passed almost the 
whole of his subsequent life on it. His education, 
which was begun in the district school near his home, 
was continued at the State Agricultural College at 
Crookston, which he attended when it was only an 
experiment station and later for some terms, being 
one of its first students. He raises wheat, oats and 
barley, principally, and breeds Duroc-Jersey hogs. 
For some years he worked with his father on the 
threshing outfit, but latterly he has devoted himself 
exclusively to his farm. He is one of the enterpris- 
ing, highly respected and influential young men of 
the westei'n section of the county and a very force- 
ful agency for good in his immediate neighborhood, 
with a firm hold on the confidence and esteem of tho 
people in all other parts of Polk county. 



WALTER LATTA. 



Now living in comfort on his fine farm of 1 20 acres 
on the edge of Crookston, two miles east of the county 
courthouse and on the south bank of Red Lake river, 
Walter Latta, one of the progressive and prosperous 
farmers of Crookston township, this county, has not 
reached his present condition of independence with- 
out a struggle and some very discouraging mishaps. 
Yet he never lost courage or slackened his industry, 
and has long been triumphant over every obstacle 
and difficulty that once impeded his progress. 

Mr. Latta was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, in 
1856, and reared on a farm on the Grand Prairie in 
that state on which his parents settled about 1848, 
moving to it from Niagara county. New York. They 
were among the earliest settlers on the Grand Prairie 
and lived on their farm there over sixty years. Their 



son Walter remained at home with them until he 
reached man's estate and then pas.sed two years 
working on a farm in Wisconsin. In 1879 he came 
to Crookston to get land of his own. He took up a 
homestead in Fanny township on the prairie, ten 
miles and a half from Crookston. There were tlien 
only two other buildings in the township, one being 
at a gravel pit on the road leading from Crookston. 
Having no capital, Mr. Latta had to begin opera- 
tions on a very limited scale. He put up a frame 
house 18 by 14 feet in dimensions, and for two years 
worked out to make a living, hiring help to plow his 
land and put his crop in. He lost his first crop by 
hail and two or three times later suffered the same 
disaster, one year having 140 acres of wheat destroyed. 
At the end of twelve years of only partial success on 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



321 



this farm he decided to sell it and seek a more favor- 
able location. Before doing this, however, he served 
on the township board and in other local oflSces, doing 
his part to aid in the development and improvement 
of the township. 

In 1900 Mr. Latta bought his present farm, which 
is known as the "Christ Sathre farm." It contains 
120 acres, is bordered by the river on the east and is 
in the Crookston school district and formerly touched 
the city limits. He carries on a general farming in- 
dustry, raising grain and live stock and keeping a 
small number of cows for milk. Six years ago, in 
1909, he put up a new dwelling house to take the 
place of the old log cabin in which he lived until 
then, and which was one of the first houses built in 
the township. The new dwelling is modern in every 
particular and attractive in appearance as well as 
convenient in arrangement. 



On December 23, 1880, Mr. Latta was united in 
marriage with Mis.s Mina Jones, a resident of Polk 
county at the time of her marriage but a native of 
Wisconsin. They have four children: Lois, who is 
the wife of H. C. Mcllbraith, a druggist in James- 
town, North Dakota; Edith, who is the wife of Ed- 
ward Carlson, proprietor of a lively business in 
Crookston; Harlow, who is farming near Fosston in 
this county, and Elmer, who is living at home. Both 
daughters are high school graduates and were school 
teachers in Polk county. Mr. Latta belongs to the 
Order of Woodmen. He is too busily occupied in 
managing his farm and other business to take an active 
part in political affairs, but is, none the less, deeply 
and serviceably interested in the welfare of his home 
county. 



ROBERT E. SMITH. 



Profitably engaged in farming and raising live 
stock in this county since the spring of 1883, and 
having improved large tracts of wild land, helped to 
raise the standard of cattle and hogs in his town- 
ship, served the people faithfully and wisely in sev- 
eral township offices, and generally performed the 
duties of citizenship in a highly commendable man- 
ner, Robert E. Smith, whose home is on the southwest 
quarter of section 19, in Fairfax township, has been a 
very useful man in his locality and won on merit the 
universal esteem which he enjoys among its residents. 

Mr. Smith was born and reared at Shelburne, Frank- 
lin county, Massachusetts, and belongs to old New Eng- 
land families. In 1880 he came west and located in 
Kane county, Illinois, where he passed two years and 
a half, then changed his residence to Polk county, Min- 
nesota, where he has ever since had his home. He 
bought the nucleus of his present farm of the railroad 
company in 1882, almost immediately after his arrival 
in the county, paying $10 an acre for his purchase. 
On this land he built a house 14 by 20 feet in size, and 
in the spring of 1883 began to break up and cultivate 



his tract. He broke up about one-fourth of it and 
thereby obtained the rebate on his purchase money so 
conditioned in the deal. He had less than $400 which 
he had saved from his earnings at farm labor in Illi- 
nois and other places when he bought his land, and his 
early years here were years of struggle and privation. 

In the spring of 1883 Mr. Smith was joined by his 
brother, Frank R. Smith, and they worked the land 
in partnership, afterward purchasing the Northeast 
quarter of section 30 in the same township, cornering 
with the quarter section they already owned. The new 
purchase was a part of the homestead of Jacob Francis 
and the only improvement on it was a claim shanty. 
The Smith brothers paid $2,000 for the land, and they 
worked the two tracts together until 1896, getting them 
both under cultivation and in good farming condition. 
In the year last mentioned they divided their land, 
the farm in section 30 going to Frank. He continued 
to farm it until 1902, then moved to Ohio after a resi- 
dence of over twenty years in Polk county. 

In 1896 Robert E. Smith bought an additional tract 
of eighty acres not far from his home but in Andover 



322 



COilPEXDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



township. This was an improved farm and he paid 
$20 an acre for it, although there were no buildings on 
it. He has since cultivated all of his 223 acres with 
excellent results. The railroad runs diagonally 
through his home fai-m. He raises large quantities of 
grain, Shorthorn cattle and Poland China hogs, and 
also carries on an active dairy business, milking 17 to 
20 cows and selling cream in Crookston. He usually 
has about 40 head of cattle and 100 of hogs fattening 
for the markets, and puts about 50 acres of land in 
corn for ensilage and field food for his stock. He has 
about five acres in alfalfa every year, and he has very 
little trouble with his crops, as his land is well drained 
with open ditches leading into a county ditch run- 
ning along the northern line of his land, and there is 
no loss, his excellent silo enabling him to preserve 
everything not devoted to immediate use. 

Mr. Smith has served several times on the township 
board and is now a member of it. He and all the 
members of his family belong to the First Baptist 
church in Crookston. He was married in the spring 



of 1883 to Miss Lizzie Roese, of Pierce county, Wis- 
consin. Their second child, Roy E., died when almost 
two years old, but they have two living, Louise and 
George R. The daughter is a graduate of the class 
of 1904 of the Crookston high school and lived at 
home until her marriage with Charles Musselman, and 
they now have their home with Mr. Musselman 's 
parents. Tliey have three children, Mariam, Robert 
and Donald. Mrs. Musselman and her mother are 
members of the Fairfax-Andover Ladies Social Circle, 
a very useful organization formed by the ladies of 
the two townships. George R. Smith, the son of 
Robert E., is also a graduate of the Crookston high 
school class of 1909 and was for a short time a stu- 
dent at the University of Minnesota but finished his 
education at the Stout Institute in Menomonie, Wis- 
consin, from which he was graduated in December, 
1911. For two and one-half years he taught manual 
training at the high school in Aberdeen, South 
Dakota, and is now teaching the same thing at the 
high school in Globe, Arizona. 



TORKEL DANIELSON. 



Torkel Danielson, a prominent farmer of Bygland 
township, settled in Polk County in 1877 and is a 
member of a well known pioneer family of this region. 
He was born in Norway, at Ose, Satersdahl, February 
20, 1849, the son of Daniel E. and Anna (Torkelson) 
Ose. Daniel Ose was the first of his countrymen to 
settle in this district and his name is revered by all 
those familiar with his many worthy services in be- 
half of the commonwealth of which he was a pioneer. 
In his native land, he had been a farmer, but turning 
over his farm to his eldest son, Eivend Danielson, he 
came to the United States, that amid larger opportuni- 
ties, he might secure a patrimony for his other chil- 
dren. He came direct to Polk county in 1872, and 
located on the northern half of the southwest quarter 
of section thirty-four of what later became Bygland 
township. Mr. Ose entered upon his farming enter- 
prise in a new land with but a small capital but 



arrived at success and prosperity through years of 
industry and able management. His influence and 
his cabin home were the center around which clus- 
tered the various interests of the growing community 
and through him many of his countrj-mcn came from 
Wisconsin, Illinois and Norway and were assisted by 
him in securing a home. His ready services were 
abetted by his wife whose friendly assistance was 
a cheerful element in the lives of the neighboring 
families. They shared the experiences incident to 
the time and locality and at one time were warned to 
leave their home because of an approaching Indian 
raid, but this alarm proved to be without founda- 
tion. At the time of the organization of the town- 
ship it was thought to be a fitting tribute to the worth 
and services of its pioneer to confer upon it his name 
but this honor he firmly declined and refused a 
similar recognition upon the organization of the 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



323 



Lutheran church in which he was active as an or- 
gaJiizer and faithful member. Upon his suggestion 
both township and church received the name of 
Bygland, because of the prevalence among the citi- 
zens of natives of that town in Norway. Mr. Ose 
continued to reside on his homestead until his death, 
December 28, 1885, in his seventy-ninth year. His 
wife survived him a number of years, spending the 
last few years of her life with her son, Toi-kel Daniel- 
son, and died December 14, 1913, at the age of eighty- 
nine. Of their family of four sons and two daughters, 
all but Eivend Danielson, who has always made his 
home on the Norway farm, live in Polk county. The 
fourth son, Ole Danielson, Junior, is a farmer in 
Huntsville township. Ole Danielson, Senior, sold liis 
farm of 180 acres some twenty years ago and returned 
to Bygland fjord, Norway where he now lives re- 
tired. Ingeborg, the younger daughter, is the wife 
of E. Proirak, of Mcintosh and Gro, oldest, married 
E. Aakhus, who resides in Grand Forks. Torkel 
Danielson is second oldest son and spent several years 
in Stearns county, Minnesota, before coming to Polk 
county, where during the many years of his residence, 
he has not only prospered his farming interests but 
has ably upheld the worthy record of his father in 
community affairs as a highly respected and progres- 
sive citizen. His first home was built of logs. This 



was destroyed by fire and lie then erected his present 
house which has since been remodeled. During the 
years of active traffic on Red river, Mr. Danielson 
operated a grain warehouse and since has devoted his 
attention entirely to his farm, engaging in both grain 
and stock farming. His place includes one hundred 
and twenty acres in section thirty-five, a short dis- 
tance from the Red river and he formerly owned a 
one hundred and eighty tract which he sold to his 
son. He has given able service on the township board 
and school board and is a trustee in the Bygland 
Lutheran church. He was married in Stearns county, 
in 1872, to Sigrid Bjornson, who some ten years 
earUer had come with her parents from the neighbor- 
hood of his home in the old country. To this union, 
four daughters and two sons were born, Anna, Jose- 
phine, a talented musician; Daniel, who married 
Matilda Thompson and is a farmer in Huntsville 
township; Thora, the wife of L. Larson, a commer- 
cial salesman, residing at Grand Forks ; Bennie, who 
was married to Bessie Kjelleberg and is on a farm 
near the old home and Regina. The latter was a 
musical instructor in the schools at Minot, North 
Dakota, and is now the wife of J. E. Anderson, the 
present superintendent of the schools at Janesville, 
Minnesota. 



DUNCAN B. FERGUSON. 



Duncan B. Ferguson, prominent farmer of Hunts- 
ville township, was born at Fremont, Winona county, 
Minnesota, April 23, 1861, the son of Duncan and 
Elizabeth (Roberton) Ferguson, pioneers of the state. 
The former was a native of County Lanark, Ontario, 
and his wife was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and died 
December 17, 1915. Her bi'other, Joseph Roberton, 
was a pioneer of Huntsville township, where he lo- 
cated in 1875 and lived for many years, his death 
occurring in 1891. The senior, Duncan Ferguson, 
came to Minnesota in 1854 and built the first house on 
the prairie in Fremont township, on his claim in 



Winona county. He was an influential citizen of the 
frontier community and sei-ved in various local of- 
fices and died there at the age of forty-nine. His 
son, Duncan B. Ferguson, was reared on the home- 
stead and after receiving a rural school education 
and course of study in a business school at Winona, 
came to Polk county in March, 1882, and worked for 
an uncle, Thomas Nisbet, a prominent pioneer. After 
several months, Mr. Ferguson returned to Winona 
county but in the following spring, 1883, he became a 
permanent resident of Polk county, buying a tract of 
school land, which is his present farm in section 



^ 



324 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



thirty-six, Huntsville township, and is located near 
Mallory and nine miles southeast of East Grand Forks. 
From a modest beginning, Mr. Ferguson has built 
up a fine farm property, s-toadily increasing his opera- 
tions and improving the ecpiipment of his farm. His 
first house was a one room frame building which 
upon his marriage he replaced with a more preten- 
tious structure and the present modern farm home 
was erected in 1910. The barn was built in 1891. 
His estate now includes two hundred and eighty acres 
and is crossed by the Great Northern railroad. Mr. 
Ferguson is that type of progressive and enterpris- 
ing farmer and citizen whose activities are largely 
evident in the advancement and prosperity of agri- 
cultural interests. With intelligent and able manage- 
ment, he has successfully demonstrated various prof- 
itable phases of farming operations, raising prize 
corn, which has brought many trophies from fairs 
and experimenting along original lines with alfalfa. 
He has given particular attention to stock and dairy 
farming, raising thoroughbred Short Horn cattle and 
Percheron horses, being a frequent exhibitor at stock 
shows. His dairy produce he markets to private cus- 
tomers in Grand Forks. Aside from his Polk county 
land he was also the owner of timberland, near Black 
Duck, Beltrami county, which he secured aa a claim, 
in 1900, but later sold. He has ever maintained an 



active interest in all matters of public activity and 
has discharged the duties of oflSce as a member of the 
township board and of the school board for many 
years and has been active in promoting the develop- 
ment of soil utility through county ditches. In fra- 
ternal orders he is a well known member of Masonic 
lodges at Grand Forks and Crookston, and is also 
affiliated with the Modem Woodmen of America. 
Mr. Ferguson finds his favorite recreation as a fisher- 
man and enjoys frequent outings in pursuit of that 
sport. He was married in 1886, to Margaret Gun- 
ness, who was born in Ontario, Canada, the daughter 
of Christopher and Catherine Gunness. who were of 
Irish and English descent and .settled in Kcy.stone 
township, Polk county, in 1880. Seven children were 
born to Mr. Ferguson and his wife, all of whom make 
their home with their parents : Effie, who was for- 
merly employed as bookkeeper in a store at Barnes- 
ville ; Arthur, who attended a business college at 
Grand Forks; Royal, who was a student in the agri- 
cultural school, at Crookston ; Mollie, who attended 
the Grand Forks high school ; Earl, a student in the 
high school at East Grand Forks; Lawrence, died at 
the age of six years, and Lois still attends the rural 
school at Mallory. The Ferguson family are mem- 
bers of the Bethel Presbyterian church. 



T. N. J. REESE. 



T. N. J. Reese, of Mcintosh, druggist and piano 
dealer, is a native of Wisconsin, born in Vernon 
county, on July 13, 1871. The death of his father 
occurred in his early childhood and he remained with 
his mother until entering college. He pursued a 
classical course at the college at Decorah, Iowa, and 
was graduated from that institution in 1891. When 
the Red Lake Indian reservation was opened for set- 
tlement in 1896 he came to Polk county with the 
intention of securing a claim, but Mcintosh seeming 
to present a propitious location for a drug business, 
he decided to embark in that trade. He established 



the business in partnership with Dr. Nerall and liad 
a very small capital to invest, but the success which 
attended the enterprise soon enabled him to buy out 
other interests and he has continued to conduct the 
store with a steadily growing patronage and owns the 
building in which he opened operations. The store, 
under able and progressive management, with mod- 
ern equipment and a fine soda fountain and 
refreshment dispensary, is one of the most attractive 
and popular business establishments in that section. 
Mr. Reese is a graduate of Dr. Drew's celebrated 
College of Pharmacy at Minneapolis and is ranked as 




T. X. J. EEESE 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



325 



oue of the most efficient pharmacists in the county. 
He has always been actively identified with the pro- 
motion of the general welfare and progress of the 
community in which he lives and enjoys the respect 
and confidence of all as a public spirited citizen and 
business man. He has added the sale of pianos and 
musical instruments to his commercial activities and 



employs several salesmen in this department, cover- 
ing an extensive territory. Mr. Reese was married 
in 1899 to Caroline Matson, who is a daughter of 
Christ Matson, of Hill River township. They have 
five children, Nytar, Harto, Kermit, Entrup and 
Gunilda. 



OLOF M. SANDIN. 



Olof M. Sandin, a well known pioneer and promi- 
nent citizen of Esther township, was born in Sweden, 
July 7, 1843, and came to St. Paul in 1872. Previous 
to that time he had lived in his native land, where 
lie had engaged in farming and in the mines of Nor- 
way and had also given two seasons of service in the 
military training camp. He reached his destination 
in the new country without any financial resources 
and secured his first employment on a farm at Men- 
dota, wielding a scythe in the hay fields. He was at 
first refused full wages but with his great prowess 
and expert skill, he soon proved himself the most com- 
petent among the Avorkmen. In the fall of the same 
year he entered the Northern Pacific railroad shops 
at Brainerd, Minnesota, and continued as a railroad 
employee for several years, starting as a laborer in the 
yards and steadily advancing until he was offered the 
position of an engineer, but he did not care to devote 
his attention to that career as his ambition was fixed 
on the free life of out of doors on the farm. In the 
spring of 1877 he worked at well digging along the 
company's line from Fargo to Bismark and with his 
fellow workmen experienced the dangers of the fron- 
tier, their lives being seriously threatened by armed 
desperadoes. On returning to Fargo, in company 
with two of his companions, one of whom was his 
brother, John Sandin, he worked his passage on the 
river to Grand Forks, by driving a small raft of 
90,000 feet of lumber. This proved a tedious and 
laborious journey, the crookedness of the stream re- 
quiring the attention of the drivers night and day for 
two weeks. Grand Forks then comprised a few dwell- 



ings and a Hudson Bay Company store and no settle- 
ment had been started on the eastern side of the river. 
Mr. Sandin immediately began his search for land 
on which he might achieve his farming ambitions and 
in partnership with his brother, John Sandin, settled 
on the land, which has ever since been his home, in 
Section 36 of Esther to\vnship, seven miles north of 
Grand Forks, on the Marais river. His brother con- 
tinued to be allied with him in all his interests until 
his death. They settled on their land in August, 1877, 
and were among the first settlers of that region, their 
neighbors of the early day being "William Jackson, 
James Pederson and Louis Larson, and two years 
after their coming, Mr. Dangerfield located on the 
tract across the Marais from their place. The land 
chosen by the brothers was school land and was not 
put upon the market until the following year, when 
Mr. Sandin secured possession at the auction held at 
Crookston, for $7.25 an acre, a neighbor bidding 
against him for the title to the eighty acres which bad 
been Mr. Sandin 's home for several months. He later 
bought one hundred and sixty acres of railroad land 
adjoining his farm, and in the next section. It is not 
only as a successful and prosperous farmer that Mr. 
Sandin is known through the county; undoubtedly 
his largest claim among the people of Polk county is 
as a pioneer and a public spirited citizen. A man of 
genial nature, wide capabilities and commanding 
physique, he is one of those unique personalities who 
are ever largely identified with life and development 
of any new country; their worth and ready service 
laying the foundations for civilization's progi-ess. He 



326 



COJIPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



was one of tlie organizers of the township, named for 
the daughter of ex-President Cleveland, and was 
chairman of the fisrt township board. In educational 
and religious affairs his influence was prominent and 
it was through his efforts that the Betheseda Swedisli 
Lutheran church was established, Mr. Sandin donat- 
ing some of his land for the site of the church and 
cemetery. He has ever been a loyal supporter of the 
Republican party. He was married December 31, 
1888, to Ursilla Larson, of Grand Forks, and they have 
three children, Miranda, who attended North Star col- 
lege at Warren, Minnesota, and is now engaged in 
teaching; Lillie and Oscar. Mr. Sandin and his family 
are all faithful and active workers in the interests of 
the church of which they are members. From the 
wealth of his experiences in the days when western 



Minnesota was frontier countrj-, ilr. Sandin recalls 
many entertaining tales. He was on friendly terms 
with the Indians who passed through the territory 
and they often encamped on his land. One party, in 
1878, had in their possession a white horse which had 
belonged to General Custer and had been given them 
at Devil's Lake. A blood hound which had also 
belonged to Custer, became so savage while in this 
neighborhood that Mr. Sandin was asked to shoot it. 
As a sportsman he possessed no little skill and at 
Brainerd brought the noted deer "Stub Toes" to 
ground, after the latter had been the coveted prey of 
the local hunters for many seasons. He has also 
killed deer on his own laud and during the first few 
years, engaged quite extensively in trapping small 
fur animals. 



KNUTE F. UG6EN. 



Knute F. Uggen, a well known farmer of Knute 
township, is a native of Norway, born July 15, 1863, 
and has been a resident of Minnesota since childhood, 
having come to Rice county in 1871 with his parents, 
F. A. and Anne Uggen, who made their home in that 
county during the remainder of their lives. When he 
was fifteen years of age, Knute Uggen found employ- 
ment at farm labor and thriftily saved his earnings 
that he might embark upon an independent career 
as a farmer. In five years he has accumulated two 
hundred dollars and with this and an unfailing capital 
of ambitious industiy, he bought wild land in Otter- 
tail county. He remained on this place for several 
years during which he cleared some fifty acres of 
timber land and put it into cultivation. In 1888, 
he removed to Polk county and bought a claim and 
filed on a homestead in King township. At this time 
he had advanced his financial prosperity to two 
thousand dollars axid during the ensuing years he 
steadily increased the value of his property, through 
unceasing labor and capable management. He was a 
resident of King township thirteen years and broke 
one hundred acres on his tract for cultivation. In 



1901 he sold the homestead for $3,200 and bought his 
present farm at an additional thousand. This is in 
section twelve of Knute township, a little over two 
miles east of Erskine and not far from Mcintosh and 
is one of the most attractive country estates in Polk 
county, with one hundred and twenty acres in the 
highest condition of productiveness, and a pleasant 
farm house, delightfully situated on the shore of Oak 
lake. The Great Northern railroad crosses the farm 
not far from the house. The tract comprises two 
hundred and thirteen acres by government survey 
and upon coming into the possession of Mr. Uggen, 
had ninety acres in cultivation, with a log house and 
small barn. He has built it up to its present pros- 
perous condition, erecting the home and a good barn. 
He gives his attention for the gi-eater part to grain 
raising and in 1915 harvested some thirty-seven hun- 
dred bushels of wheat, oats and bai-ley. his wheat 
crop averaging thirty-four bushels to the acre. He 
also engages in stock and dairy farming. During the 
busy years of his successful career, Mr. Uggen has 
been actively interested in the promotion of the best 
interests of the community and has served in local 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



327 



offices both in King and Knute townships, and is at 
present a member of the school board. He is asso- 
ciated with business enterprise as a stockholder in 
the cooperative creameries in Erskine and Mcintosh 
and was one of the organizers from King township 
of the Farmers Mutual Insurance Company, a flour- 
ishing corporation of Polk county, of which he was 
president at one time and is now treasurer. His mar- 
riage with Agnes Hoffard, a native of Norway, was 
solemnized December 30, 1889, in Dakota county. 



Minnesota. Seven children were born to them of 
whom six are living: Frithjof and Christ, who are 
twins; Gunda, staying at home; Julia and Agnes, 
students in the high school at Mcintosh, and Emma. 
A daughter, Ingeborg, died in her fifteenth year. 
Frithjof Uggen is associated with his father in the 
management of the home farm and Christ Uggen is 
living on a Montana claim, Dawson county. Mr. 
Uggen and his family are members of the Synod 
Lutheran church. 



H. H. FLATTEN. 



With a fine farm of 160 acres in Section 24, Esther 
towDsliip, eight and a half miles north of East Grand 
Forks, and on the boundary line between Esther and 
Northland townships, which is improved with good 
buildings and in a condition of high productiveness, 
H. H. Flatten is one of the most comfortably fixed 
farmers in his part of Polk county, especially as he 
owns an eighty-acre tract of hay land in Sandsville 
township in addition to his home farm. And the best 
part of it all is that everything Mr. Flatten has he has 
accumulated by his own industry, thrift and good 
management. He was bom in Norway July 2, 1850, 
and was reared on a farm and educated in that couu- 
tiy. In the spring of 1875 he came to the United 
States and located in Goodhue county, Minnesota. He 
had only a few dollars in money, and so for thi-ee 
years he worked out at farm labor for a compensation 
of $20 a month and his board in summer and for his 
board alone in winter. He was very frugal and .saving 
with his earnings, and at the end of three years he had 
$350 laid by. 

About this time Jens I. Peterson, who had come over 
a year before and located in this county, wrote to his 
friend C. M. Lindgren in Goodhue county to join him 
in Polk county, and Mr. Flatten accompanied Mr. 
Lindgren to this part of the state, arriving in March, 
1878. He took up his home place as a homestead by 
the side of one selected by Mr. Lindgren, and built on 
it a one-room log house, with a sawed roof and floor, 



which made him a comfortable dwelling for the time 
and his circumstances. He procured a team of oxen 
and broke up fifteen acres of his land, which he put in 
wheat the next season. 

The first year he worked out at hai-vesting and 
threshing but also put up some hay for his own oxen 
and cows. He and Mr. Lindgi'eu each had a yoke of 
oxen and they joined forces and made crops in 1879, 
Mr. Flatten 's yield being about 300 bushels. He then 
broke up more of his land and put in more wheat. 
After two or three years hail storms wasted his crops 
and caused him serious loss, but he persevered and 
kept on making progress, and he was soon able to 
buy a tract of eighty acres of railroad land in Sands- 
ville township, four miles northeast of his home, for 
which he paid $7 an acre. This is excellent hay land, 
and it is nearly all devoted to that product. 

Mr. Flatten lived in his little log house nine years, 
then erected his present dwelling. This was an am- 
bitious structure for the section twenty-eight years 
ago, and many persons thought it was too large. But 
the owner felt confident he could pay for it, and he 
accomplished that duty years ago. "Wheat, oats and 
barley have been his main crops, with wheat leading. 
He has taken an active part in the affairs of the town- 
ship, serving on the township board in Higdem town- 
ship before the division, then helping to organize 
Esther township and serving on its township board. 
He has also been a member of the school boai'd in 



328 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COL'NTY 



each, but lie has never held or sought a county office. 
For two years after settling on his farm Mr. Flat- 
ten lived in the barl)aric splendor of a bachelor's hall, 
but in 1882 he was united in marriage with Miss Gina 
Larson, a sister of Ludwig Larson, and a Polk county 
arrival of 1877, coining here with her father, Johanes 
Larson, who took up a homestead that year in Section 
10. IMr. and Mrs. Flatten have two daughters, Hilma 
and Julia. Hilma is now the wife of Carl Thompson 



of Esther township and has one child, their daughter 
Genevieve. Julia is the wife of Richard Rice and is 
living at home with her parents. She attended the 
high school in Grand Forks and the State Normal in 
Moorhead, and for four years was a teacher in the 
Polk county public schools. All the members of the 
family belong to the North Lutheran church at Grand 
Marais, of which the head of the hou.se has been 
treasurer for fifteen years. 



JAMES ADAIR. 



The late James Adair, of Esther township, who died 
February 17, 1909, at the age of sixty-three years 
and eight months, and who was for over twenty 
years one of the wide-awake and energetic farmers 
and live stock men of Polk county, was Iwrn in Sim- 
coe county, province of Ontario, Canada, the son of 
an Irish father and Irish mother. He was reared 
and educated in his native county, and at the age of 
twenty-five married there Miss Margaret Patterson, 
whose father was Irish and mother Scotch, both born 
in Ireland but married in Canada, where her life 
began in the same county as her husband's. 

In the spring of 1878 Mr. and Mi's. Adair emigrated 
to the United States and located in this county. Mrs. 
Adair's brother, Thomas Patterson, had come across 
the line four years before and settled on the Red 
river five miles north of Grand Forks. He lived 
there several years, then moved to Grantsdale, Mon- 
tana, where he now has his home. Mrs. Adair also 
had a sister in this county, Mrs. Robert Anderson, 
who is now deceased, and whose life storj' is briefly 
told elsewhere in this volume. 

On their arrival in this county the Adairs bought 
railroad land in Esther township at $10 an acre, the 
same being part of the farm in Section 35 of that 
township on which Mrs. Adair is still living. They 
bought cows, oxen and other necessary things for the 
farm, and built a small log house with a floor and 
shingle roof but no chimney, the smoke being allowed 
to escape throtigh a hole in the roof. When they 



settled in their new home they had just enough means 
to supply them with the absolutely necessary things 
for their living for a year. They had a stove and 
made benches and a table, but were without dishes. 
In a little while Mr. Adair had sixteen acres ready 
for a crop, and after that matured they were able to 
live in some degi'ce of comfort. 

When his progress enabled him to do it Mr. Adair 
bought an additional tract of eighty acres of land at 
$25 an acre, and still later 160 acres more, paying 
$5,000 for the last tract, which is half a mile distant 
from the home farm. He raised grain and cattle, 
milked 8 to 10 cows and made butter for private cus- 
tomers, and worked as hard as anj- man in the county, 
keeping up his industry without abatement until seven 
years before his death and retaining the care of his 
cows to the last. In 1886 he built the dwelling 
house which is now on the fariu and the home of the 
family. 

Mr. Adair had no taste for public life and never 
sought office or took an active part in political con- 
tests, although he was an unwavering Democrat and 
loyal always to his party. But he always manifested 
a deep and helpful interest in the building of roads 
and other public improvements. In religious faith 
he was a Presbyterian and at first belonged to church 
of his sect in Grand Forks, but later he helped to 
start the Presbyterian church in East Grand Forks 
and was a member of that until he died. 

The children of Mr. and Mrs. Adair number three. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



329 



Edward Alexander, William Jolm and Annie Belle. 
Edward is now living on the home farm. He has 
operated a threshing outfit for nine years, threshing 
in 1915 nearly 80,000 bnshels of grain. William 
owns the farm of 160 acres half a mile from the home 
farm. His first wife was Miss Runa Belle Peters, who 
left two children when she died, William Roscoe and 



James Monroe. After her death the husband married 
Miss Iva Beulah Haas. They have five children, John 
Edward, Walter Earl, Clarence Millen, Emmet and 
Karl. Annie Belle is the wife of Hugh Blue. They 
cultivate the home farm and have three children, 
Annie Luella, Edward Donald and Leonard. Mrs. 
Adair has her home with them. 



PETER OLSON. 



Passing through severe trials to enduring triumph, 
and winning a comfortable estate by his own perse- 
vering and wisely applied industry, Peter Olson, one 
of the substantial and progressive farmers of Higdem 
township, has well illustrated in hi.s career the sturdy 
hardihood and determination of the pioneer and the 
strong fiber and resolute self-reliance of the sterling 
citizenship of Polk county, Minnesota, and the North- 
west in general. 

Mr. Olson was born in Norway October 22, 1860, 
the son of Ole and Ella (Midtmoen), and with them 
came to this country and located in Iowa county, 
Wisconsin, when he was twelve and a half years of 
age. In the spring of 1878 the family moved to Polk 
county, Minnesota, and Peter located on eighty acres 
of railroad land two miles north of East Grand Forks. 
Later he changed this land for a homestead in Sec- 
tion 24, Grand Forks township. During his first 
winter in this county he had only two pounds of but- 
ter and ten bushels of potatoes from October 21 to 
spring, and would frequently walk three miles through 
the snow to cut cord wood at 50 cents a cord and 
dine on frozen pork and bread. 

On the arrival of the family in this county the 

father took up railroad land in Section 25, Grand 

Forks township. He died at the home of his son 

Peter December 30, 1893, having passed his last year 

there. While living in Wisconsin Peter worked out 

on farms and he did the same after coming to this 

county, doing anything he could get to do to make a 

living. The first ox team belonging to the family 

here was bought jointly by him, his father and his 
21 



brother Andrew, who all went in debt for the purchase 
price, $90. They all lived together until Peter took 
up his homestead. 

Peter Olson's homestead was improved with a little 
log shanty with a sod roof and other accommodations 
in keeping with this. He lived in that one winter, 
but after that made his home with his brother Andrew 
until the latter married. In 1903 Andrew moved to 
the state of Washington, where he is now living. 
Peter improved his homestead and sold it. In 1898 
he bought his present farm in Higdem township, 
which is in Section 32, bordering Red river, and 
seventeen miles by road from East Grand Forks. The 
farm comprises 2'42 acres, eighty of the acres being 
in timber, the balance on the prairie. Lars Ericksen 
was the original homesteader on this land, but he 
returned to Sweden. 

When Mr. Olson bought this land he paid $6,100 for 
it, including the live stock and machinerj' on it. He 
has enlarged and improved the dwelling house and 
put up a good barn and other structures needed for 
his purpases. Raising grain has been his main de- 
pendence, but he lost on crop by hail, the first one 
destroyed on this farm in thirty-seven years. He 
milks nine or ten cows regularly and raises some other 
live stock but does not make this a specialty. 

Mr. Olson is at this time (1916) chairman of the 
township board and has been for seven years, and for 
twelve years he has been a member of the board and 
taken an active part in all township affairs. He is a 
Republican in politics, and a Lutheran in religious 
faith, holding membership in Grand Marais church. 



330 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



On December 31st, 1896, he was married to Miss Anna 
Anderson of Grand Forks, who was born in Sweden. 
She died April 9, 1906, leaving four small childrun 
to the care of her husband. They are still living with 



him and helping him with the duties of the farm and 
household. They are Esther Alice, Alma Ovelia, 
Mabel Helen and Dagmar Rosetta. 



WILLIAM CAMERON. 



William Cameron, prominent citizen and business 
man of Fosston, is a native of Ontario, Canada, born 
November 22, 1848. In 1878 he came to the United 
States, joining a brother-in-law who had previously 
located in Grand Forks, North Dakota. After a short 
time spent in that city, Mr. Cameron took a homestead 
claim, ten miles from Grand Forks in Nesbit town- 
ship, Polk county. He later purchased anotlier 
quarter section of land and for a number of years 
devoted everj' attention to the development of his 
farm, putting it under cultivation and engaging 
principally in the raising of wheat. He erected good 
buildings and built up a valuable farm property 
which continues in his possession. In 1894, after six- 
teen years spent in Nesbit township, he came to Foss- 
ton and engaged in the livery business. At that time 
Fosston presented an unusually advantageous location 
for this enterprise ; situated at the end of the i-ailroad 
and the Soo line to the north not yot built and ho 
conducted an extensive and lucrative business. He 
was the owner of several lots on Main street and for 
ten years his stable occupied the present location of 
the Campbell garage. On removing from here he 
erected the present livery building. His stables were 
widely known among the horsemen and were always 
the center of the horse trade in this region. After 
almost twenty years of successful activity in this 



business he retired from the livery trade. During 
this time he had also engaged in the hay trade, being 
the first dealer in hay in Fosston which is the market 
for many small towns, and since 1913 he has given his 
attention exclusively to this business. He employs 
a number of men and bales from two to three hundred 
tons of liay and ships as much more for patrons. The 
same qualities which have brought him success in 
the business world are disclosed in his citizenship. He 
is ever alert to that which will promote the public 
welfare and a faithful suppoi-ter of its best interests. 
He has given able services on the village council and 
served in office in Nesbit township. He is a member 
of the Republican party. He has always taken a keen 
interest in athletics and has been instrumental in pro- 
moting local endeavor in this line. ]\Ir. Cameron was 
married in Ontario, Canada, to Anna Campbell and 
they have three children, Laura, who with her son, 
Harold, has made her home with her parents since 
the death of her husband, John Cumyn ; William, 
living in St. Paul, where he operates a garage, and 
Waltei", who has taken over his father's livery 
interests. Mr. Cameron is an enthusiastic hunter 
and has enjoyed much good sport in early days hunt- 
ing elk and moose near Thief lake, and never failed 
to pull down his limit of game each season. 



OLE H. FLATTEN. 



This good citizen of Polk county and progressive 
farmer of Esther township, whose choice farm is 
located in Section 23, ten miles north of East Grand 
Forks, and adjoins that of Ole S. Basgaard, is a 
brother of H. H. Flatten, a sketch of whom is to be 



found in this work, and like him was born in Nor- 
way, where his life began January 19, 1858. He 
came to Polk county and joined his brother H. H. 
here in 1880, two years after the arrival of the 
brother. Wlien he reached tliis county he had no 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



331 



money left, and during the first summer of his resi- 
dence here he worked out at farm labor and railroad 
construction. In the winter following he was em- 
ployed in the lumber woods near Brainerd and in 
looking after drives of ties to Little Falls on the 
Little Elk river, spending forty days in each of two 
or three seasons in such labor as the drives of ties 
required. 

Having made a little stake by his industry and 
frugality, Mr. Flatten purchased a yoke of oxen and 
during the next eight or ten years he rented land and 
followed farming as a tenant. In 1895 he bought 160 
acres of his present farm, which now comprises 260 
acres in one body, and he also owns 120 acres in 
Northland township three miles distant from his 
home farm. In addition to spending $400 for im- 
provements on his home farm, Mr. Flatten paid 
about $13 an acre for it. The original price was $10 
an acre, but it was railroad land, and by the time cer- 
tain disputes over it \\ere settled the improvements 
made by him raised its value to $13 an acre. For 
the additional tract of 100 acres, Avhich is crossed by 
the Grand Marais river, he paid an average of $12 an 
acre, but none of the land was above a reasonable 
price. 

Mr. Flatten 's attention has been given mainly to 
raising grain. He has fine facilities for raising live 



stock but has never done much in that line as yet. 
He built a part of his present dwelling house in 
1895 and the rest of it since. It is in a commanding 
location on the bank of the Grand Marais overlook- 
ing a large extent of the surrounding country. He 
also has a good bam and other buildings and improve- 
ments in keeping with these. The farm is one of the 
most desirable in this part of Polk county, his land 
being now worth $100 an acre, its value havmg been 
greatly increased by what he has done to it in the 
way of development, improvements and advanced 
cultivation. 

The affairs of his township have always deeply 
interested Mr. Flatten, and he has take an active part 
in the management of them, having served on the 
township board, of which he is now a member, most 
of the time since he located here, and for many years 
having been also a member of the school board. He 
was married in 1893 to Miss Mary Fjeld, who is like 
himself a native of Norway. They have had eight 
children, seven of whom are living and all of them 
still at home with their parents. They are Henry, 
Christine, Mabel, Clara, Clarence, Olga and Melvin. 
A son named Carl died at the age of seven yeai-s. 
All the members of the family belong to the Swedish 
Lutheran church at Grand Marais, of which Mr. 
Flatten is a deacon and a trastee. 



NICK WELTER. 



This wide-awake, enterprising and progi'essive Polk 
county farmer and live stock breeder, who owns and 
lives on the East half of Section 27, Fairfax town- 
ship, eight miles southeast of Crookston and one mile 
and a half west of Harold station on the Northern 
Pacific railroad, came to his present condition of 
independence and comfort in a worldly way through 
many diflfieulties and discouragements but with a 
spirit of determination, industry and perseverance 
that triumphed over all obstacles. He is a cousin of 
Frederick Baatz, who lives two miles south of him 
on Section 4, Russia town.ship, a brief account of 
whose life will be found on this work. 



Mr. Welter was born in the Grand Duchy of Lux- 
emburg, Germany, September 20, 1858, and came to 
the United States in 1888, joining an uncle in 
Wabasha county, Minnesota, with whom he remained 
a few months and then came to Argj'le in Marshall 
county, where his uncle owned a large tract of land. 
For six years he lived on one of his uncle's farms 
and during the next three on another belonging to 
him. He improved 200 acres of his uncle's land, 
having some good years in Marshall county but losing 
his first three crops by frost. As he had only 
$150 in money when he came to this country the loss 
of his crops was a serious setback for him. But his 



332 



COMPENDIUM OP HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



I 



uncle carried him along at a high rate of interest on 
loans and deferred payments, and in the end he won 
his way out of all embarrassments and through all 
difficulties. 

"While farming his uncle's land Mr. Welter was in 
partnership with his own brother Frederick until 
1894. On April 16 of that year he was married to Miss 
Susan Clemen, then a resident of Wabasha county, 
Minnesota, but born in Luxemburg, Germany, August 
3, 1867, and brought to America in her infancy. 
Two years later, in 1896, Mr. Welter came to Polk 
county, and until April, 1914, he rented land in Fair- 
fax township, 320 acres of which he now owns, liaving 
paid $50 an acre for it in the spring of 1914. Four 
years before buying this land, however, which he had 
farmed for twelve years as a tenant, he bought 160 
acres partially improved in another section, paying 
$25 an acre for it. He has since built a good barn 
at a cost of $1,000 and made other improvements of 
value. 

Mr. Welter has one of the best farms in Fairfax 



township, and it is very productive. But what it is 
his industry, good judgment and skilful farming 
have made it. He raises wheat and other grain, and 
in 1915 his crops reached a total of about 4,000 
bushels of wheat and the same amount of oata and 
barley. He also keeps 18 to 20 head of cattle and 10 
horses and always has a few cows for milking pur- 
poses. His success in his farming operations in this 
county is very gratifying to him, especially as it is 
all the result of his own unaided efforts and good 
management. 

Five children have blessed and brightened the 
Welter household, all of whom are still living at home 
with their parents. They are: Fredei'ick Peter, 
aged twenty -one; Peter Aloysius, aged nineteen; 
Andrew Nicholas, aged seventeen; Theodore Johann, 
aged fifteen, and George William, aged five. The 
members of the family have all been reared in the 
Catholic faith and belong to the Cathedral parish in 
Crookston. 



ERICK NELSON. 



One of the enterprising and progressive and there- 
fore successful farmers of Higdem township, Erick 
Nelson, who lives on Section 20, sixteen miles north 
of Grand Forks, has made his own way in the world 
from nothing to his present condition of worldly 
comfort and independence, and has taken pride and 
pleasure in the struggles by which he has advanced. 
He was born in Norway August 22, 1839, and in 1861 
came with his father to this country and located at 
Eau Claire, Wisconsin. From there he worked iu 
the lumber woods and in saw mills for eleven years, 
living frugally and saving his earnings. 

In the fall of 1880 he came to Polk county with a 
cash capital of $250 and more due him in Wisconsin, 
which, however, he never got. He bought seventy- 
eight acres of his present farm as script land, paying 
$6 an acre for it. The tract lies along the Red river 
and about eighteen acres of it is in timber. He has 



since bought eighty acres additional, forty of which 
adjoins his fii*st purchase and forty lies about two 
miles and a half east of that on the prairie. For the 
prairie land he paid $300 and for the other forty 
acres $600. 

When he settled on his land Mr. Nelson first built 
a little log house, which is still standing, but it is no 
longer his residence, as he built the dwelling he now 
occupies in 1902. For the first two years all his labor 
was in vain. His crops were drowned out and he 
was driven to other resources to make his venture pay. 
lie began keeping cows, starting with four or five and 
gradually increasing the number as his butter trade 
increased. This is no longer extensive, and he now 
depends on his general farming operations for his 
profits and they have been so successful that they 
have fully satisfied him. 

Mr. Nelson has taken an active and helpful interest 




KD.MUXU L. STOWE 



COMPENDIUM OP HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



333 



iu the affairs of his township. He has served as super- 
visor and for a number of years as a member of the 
township board. His political allegiance and service 
have always been given to the Republican party, and 
he has at times been very active in behalf of its can- 
didates. In religious affiliation he is a Lutheran and 
a member of Kongsvinger church of that denomina- 
tion, which is about four miles distant from his home. 
For .ten years or longer he served as a member of the 
school board and its treasurer, finally growing tired 
of the office and giving it up. 

In 1881, one year after his arrival in Polk county, 
Mr. Nelson was married in Grand Forks to Miss 
Oleauna Farder, a sister of Ole S. Parder. She was 
bom in Norway and died at her Polk county home 



on January 11, 11)12, leaving six children living. 
Anna Dorothy is now the wife of A. N. Anderson, a 
merchant at Birkholz, a sketch of whom will be found 
in this volume. Sigward N. conducts his father's 
home farm. He married Miss Ada Finseth. They 
have no children. ^lary Sophia is living at home 
with her father. Emma Olena, who was the wife of 
Albert Anvinson, died in February, 1913, at the age 
of twenty-three. Agnes is married to Carl L. Larson. 
Oscar Edwin is still living at home. Another son, 
also named Oscar Edwin, died in infancy. Mr. Nel- 
son was something of a hunter in his youth and young 
manhood, and while living in AVisconsin killed many 
a deer. 



EDMUND L. STOWE. 



Edmund L. Stowe, of Mcintosh, a successful busi- 
ness man and well-known citizen, has been promi- 
nently identified with the interests of the county since 
the early settlement of the eastern townships. He 
was born in Saline county, Missouri, May 5, 1859, and 
is the son of Dr. L. S. Stowe, an eminent pioneer of 
Polk county, where the memory of his hospitable and 
generous character and able services still linger in 
the reminiscences of the earlier days. Dr. Stowe had 
removed from Grant county, Wisconsin, in 1857 to 
Missouri, but in the storm center of those troublous 
times his native frankness and fearless championing 
of his convictions soon incurred the disapproval of 
the prevailing local sentiment and he was given no- 
tice to leave and he returned to Wisconsin to enlist 
in the Sixteenth AVisconsin regiment and to serve 
throughout the four years of war in defense of those 
convictions. After the close of the war he resumed 
the practice of medicine near Bloomiugton, Illinois, 
and later went to Sangamon county in that state, 
where he remained until 1881, wlieu he came to Polk 
county and took a claim some thirteen miles south- 
east of Crookston. This pioneer home was open to 
everyone and the cordial welcome and good cheer 



made it a popular stopping place for travelers en 
route to Fertile or the Sand Hill river country. Dr. 
Stowe made his home in the county for about ten 
years, devoting his time to his professional duties and 
farming, and subsequently removed to Hawley, Clay 
county, Minnesota, where he engaged in a successful 
practice until his death in 1899, at the age of seventy- 
five years. His wife died in the early childhood of 
his son, Edmund Stowe, and the latter, at an early 
age, assumed all responsil)ility for the securing of 
an education and the direction of his carreer. Willi 
ambitious determination, he managed to attain suf- 
ficient training to fit him for the teaching profession 
and taught in 1879 and 1880 in Sangamon county, 
Illinois, and in 1881, after coming to Polk county, 
taught his third school, which was near Crookston, 
and for the next few years continued in this occupa- 
tion, devoting the vacation periods to his land. On 
coming to the county he had filed on a homestead, 
near his father's tract, and the law of that time 
permitting him to prove up on the claim in a few 
months, he secured a tree claim near the present 
station of Melvin, on the Northern Pacific railroad, 
and there set out ten acres of ash, box elder and cot- 



334 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



touwood, whiL-h lias siiK-e grown into the finest grove 
in the country and is a worthy tribute to the pioneer 
labors of ^Ir. Stowe. The years spent as a teacher 
were the years of the settlement of the Thirteen 
Towns and he is associated with the activities of the 
period as the first teacher in an organized school dis- 
trict, in Polk county, east of Crookston, and he re- 
calls many experiences of that interesting day. At 
the close of the fall term of the Ilafterson school, 
No. 68, in 1883, he first learned of the organization 
of two school districts in the Thirteen Towns, No. 
120 and No. 122, which had not been supplied with 
instructors, and having been previously acquainted 
with John Flesch, an influential settler of Rosebud 
township, determined to apply for the latter posi- 
tion, which was the Fosstou school. The Fosston post- 
office and store were then located on the Flesch farm, 
five miles southwest of the pi-esent site of the town, 
and with no definite direction for reaching his desti- 
nation, Mr. Stowe began his cross-country journey 
on foot anil after many miles of weary travel throiigh 
the January snow, he met the Indian, Bolieu, mail 
carrier to the postoffices of King and Fosston and 
obtained the first intelligible explanation in English 
of his route. He was directed to the home of John 
D. Knudson, the clerk of District No. 120, and as 
Fosston was some miles further, he decided to end 
his journey here and made his application for this 
school, and his services were accepted by the director, 
K. N. Newton, with a monthly salary of thirty dol- 
lars. He taught in this school for two j'ears, mean- 
while boarding in the Newton home, where his ac- 
quaintance with a daughter of the house soon cul- 
minated into a happy union. The first term was of 
but six weeks' duration and had an enrollment of 
over thirty pupils, who ranged from children of five 
years to studious men of thirty-seven. Ole Hoven, a 
well-known farmer of King township, and Fred Han- 
son were among the older students. During the 
winter term of the next year C. K. Hofi'ard, the vice 
president of the First National bank, was one of 
his pupils. In this year John A. Newton taught the 



school at Fosston and much interest centered about 
the educational intei'ests of the neighboring communi- 
ties. Mr. Stowe organized a spelling school which 
proved a most popular form of entertainment, and 
closed the term with a school exhibition which was 
attended b^- a large and appreciative audience. lie 
was married March 17, 1885, to Anna Newton. They 
immediately made their home on the claim near 
Melvin and for the ensuing seventeen years Mr. 
Stowe devoted his attention to the development of 
his farm. After selling that property, he purchased 
a farm on section 31 of Hill River township, five 
miles northeast of ilclntosh. This land had been 
improved and put under cultivation by his brother- 
in-law, Bennie Newton, and Mr. Stowe successfully 
conducted his farming operations here for several 
years. On being appointed deputy sheriff under 
Louis Gonyea, he removed to Crookston, but in Jlr. 
Gonyea's second term resigned to become the buyer 
at Mcintosh for the Minneapolis & Northern Eleva- 
tor company. During the five years of his association 
with this company he handled some two hundred 
thousand bushels of Polk county grain. He left that 
position to establish an independent trade as a dealer 
in grain and hay and has been prosperously identified 
with this business. He makes extensive shipments of 
hay, buying the greater part of the large crops of 
the prairie section of the county and shipping to the 
Iron Range towns. Throughout the many years of 
his activities as farmer, business man and citizen Mr. 
Stowe has won the esteem of all his associates for his 
able attainments and many services and has been 
elected to various offices of public trust in the locali- 
ties in which he has resided, serving as assessor in 
King and Hill River townships and as census enu- 
mei-ator in 1900 for the latter and in 1910 for King 
towmship and the town of Mcintosh. He is a mem- 
ber of the Modern Woodmen of America and the 
Modern Brotherhood of America. Mr. Stowe and 
wife are faithful and active supporters of tlie Con- 
gregational church, in which he is a trustee. Mrs. 
Stowe is a native of Waseca county, Minnesota, and 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



335 



accompanied her father, K. N. Newton, in his removal 
to Polk county in 1883. She, like her husband, is 
popularly known in the social life of the community 
and is a member of the various local organizations. 
They have reared a family of twelve children, New- 
ton, living at Grand Forks, where he is engaged in 
the auto livery business; Grant, a ditch contractoi'. 



operating in Iowa and southern Minnesota; Sarah, 
the wife of Barney Davis, vi^ho is the proprietor of a 
hotel at Kellog, Idaho; Nobel, who is a teacher in 
the schools at Trail; Charles, who is associated with 
Grant Stowe in the contracting business, and Dewey, 
Joyce, Nellie, Eunice, Laura, Phyllis and an infant. 



ADOLPH N. ANDERSON. 



Actively and profitably engaged in general mer- 
chandising at Birkholz, in this county, twelve miles 
north of Grand Forks, during the last eleven years, 
and for fifteen rendering the township of Higdem 
good service as a public official, first as a justice of 
the peace for two years and since then as township 
clerk for thirteen, Adolph N. Anderson has well 
earned the cordial regard and good will of the people 
around him which he enjoys in such full measure as 
a merchant, as a progressive citizen and as an upright 
man. 

Mr. Anderson was bom in Chippewa county, Wis- 
consin, February 11, 1871, and became a resident of 
Minnesota in August, 1893. He is a son of Jens and 
Dorothy (Nelson) Anderson, natives of Norway. The 
father came to the United States prior to the Civil 
war and settled in Wisconsin. During that war he 
served in the Fifteenth Wisconsin Infantrj-, and felt 
the effects of the hardships and privations he was 
obliged to undergo in the army to the end of his life, 
which came on his Wisconsin farm in 1877. 

Adolph N. Anderson left the farm in 1891, when he 
was twenty years old, and during the next two years 
worked as a hired man on other farms. In 1894, 
having relatives in Polk county, he came here in 
search of employment and soon obtained an engage- 
ment on a threshing outfit, on which he worked as 
a hand one season and was then given full charge 
of it. During the next six seasons he operated this 
outfit for the Eliason brothers and during the next 
six seasons he operated one for Ole H. Bang. The 
business was extensive and gave him plenty to do. 



the aggregate of his threshing in 1895 being about 
60,000 bushels of grain, with other seasons in pro- 
portion. 

Wlien Mr. Anderson first came to Minnesota he 
located at Hinckley, in Pine county, and was there 
on September 1, 1894, when the great fire in which 
380 lives were lost and the town was entirely de- 
stroyed occurred. He lost all his possessions by the 
fire and escaped out of the burning town on the ill- 
fated train which was destroyed by the same fire at 
Skunk Lake. At Skunk Lake, six miles north of 
Hinkley, it was discovered that the fire was getting 
ahead of the train and it was stopped on the bridge 
to give the passengers a chance to save themselves by 
getting into the water, which many of them did. The 
train was entirely destroyed by the fire where they 
left it on the bridge. 

In 1904 Mr. Anderson bought the store he is now 
keeping. It had been opened three years before by 
M. 0. Kleven. The stock and buildings at that time 
amounted to $1,500. Now the investment in the busi- 
ness, including the real estate used for it, aggregates 
several thousands of dollars and the trade is growing 
all the time. On January 1, 1915, the store and its 
contents were destroyed by fire at a loss of about 
$2,000 above the insurance. Mr. Anderson imme- 
diately rebuilt his store and opened up on a larger 
scale than before. He handles farm produce, butter 
and eggs as specialties and a regular stock in general, 
and his business has more than doubled within the 
last few years. 

In 1900 Mr. Anderson was elected a justice of the 



336 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



peace. He held this office two years, and at the cud was but seventeen at the time of her marriage. She 

of his term was elected township clerk, in which and lier husband belong to the Kongsvinger Lutheran 

capacity he has been serving ever since. He was mar- church near their home. They have four children, 

ried on June 17, 1899, to Miss Annie Nelson, a daugli- Elmer Johnsie, Oscar Daniel, Alice Doris and Mary 

ter of Erick and Oleanna (Farder) Nelson, a brief Eldora Adeline, 
sketch of whom appears in this work. Mrs. Anderson 



0. T. WOLD. 



O. T. Wold, a successful farmer of Badger town- 
ship, is a native of Norway, bom June 9, 1858, and 
came to the United States in 1877, in his early man- 
hood. He had been trained in the carpentering trade 
in his own country and worked for a few years at his 
trade in Wabasha county, IMinnesota. After some 
three years, in 1881, he returned to Norway, remained 
but a few months and in 1882 again resumed his resi- 
dence in this country, locating in Grand Forks, North 
Dakota, where he was employed in carpenter work 
until 1889, when he availed himself of the opportunity 
to become a land owner and filed on a homestead in 
section eight of Badger township in 1883. He entered 
upon his farming enterprise with but a few dollars 
and a few head of stock and with unfailing industry 
and able management has advanced his fortunes to 
his present prosperous standard. To the original 
quarter, he added an adjacent eighty acres and now 
has two hundred acres of his farm under cultivation, 
some ninety acres of which was devoted to gi'ain in 
1915. He is also extensively interested in stock farm- 



ing, raising cattle for the market and keeping dairy 
cows. He has recently added alfalfa to his crops. The 
first house, a log cabin, was replaced in 1900 by a com- 
fortable modern home and in 1912 i\Ir. Wold erected 
a fine large bam. Aside from his agricultural activi- 
ties, he has been associated with local enterprise as 
a director and stockholder in the cooperative cream- 
ery at Erskine and in various offices of public re- 
sponsibility, having sei'ved for a number of years as 
township supervisor and as a member of the school 
board. The sport of the hunter has never made its 
appeal to Mr. Wold and he has never owned a gun. 
He was married in 1889 in Grand Forks, to Anna T. 
Sather, who was born in Nonvay and four children 
were born to them, two of whom died in early eliild- 
hood. Talmer Wold resides on the home farm and 
is a stockholder in the State Bank of Erskine. Magna 
Wold has been a student in the Ei-skine high school. 
Mr. Wold and his family are communicants in the 
United Lutheran church. 



JOHN LETNES. 



Mr. Letnes is one of the wide awake and progres- 
sive farmers of Andover township, this county and 
therefore one of the successful ones. He was born in 
Norway October 30, 1867, of well-to-do parents and 
emigrated to this country in 1888, located in North 
Dakota and in 1891 he became a resident of Polk 
county, Minnesota. When Mr. Letnes came to this 
county he was a single man. He worked on farms 
in the vicinity of Climax for several years until la- 



was married. He was prudent and thrifty and luid 
saved up some money. When the railroad came 
through that part of the county he bought a lot and 
put up a dwelling in the new village of Climax. 
While living in Climax, in company with his brother- 
in-law, Levi Steenerson, he traded in wheat for a 
while. 

During the railroad land boom he bought land, 
which was the start of farming for liimself. First he 



COMPENDIUM OP HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



337 



bought land in Vineland township. He put up build- 
ings on this farm and farmed there two years. In 
1900 he sold this farm for a good price and bought 
an improved farm in Andover township. This he 
sold in 1902 and then bought his present home farm. 
He bought one hundred and sixty acres more four 
years ago, making it one-half section of well im- 
proved land he owns to date. Mr. Letnes has all his 
land under cultivation, and devoted to raising grain. 
His crops in 1915 amounted to 8,000 bushels of oats, 
wheat and barley, oats being the leader. He keeps 
Ills farm well stocked with graded stock. The build- 
ings on his farm are of good dimensions, most of 
them being erected by himself, and the land is of 
superior fertility and fibre and very productive. It 
is well drained and skillfully cultivated. His methods 
of farming are altogether modern and progressive. 



He plows with a gas tractor, and all his other ap- 
pliances for his work are strictly up-to-date, and in 
addition to carrying on with vigor and energy the 
cultivation of the land, he oijerates his own threshing 
outfit. The public affairs of the township have always 
enlisted the active interest of this progressive citizen, 
and he has taken a helpful part in administering 
them. He is at present a member of the board of 
township supervisors and its chairman. In 1894 he 
was married to Miss Margaret Oustby of Climax, but 
a native of Norway. They have nine children, 
Lawrence, Thomas, Pauline, Anna, Lars, John, Mag- 
nus, Daniel and Isabelle. Lawrence is a gas engineer, 
Thomas is a student at the Crookston Business Col- 
lege and Pauline is a student at the Northwest School 
of Agriculture at Crookston. 



FRED HANSON. 



Fred Hanson, a farmer of King township, has been 
a resident of Polk county since the opening of the 
section of the Thirteen Towns in 1883. He was born in 
Norway, April 16, 1857, and came to the United States 
at seventeen years of age, with his parents and three 
sisters. A brother, J. B. Hanson, had preceded them 
to this country and the family joined him in Vernon 
county, Wisconsin. For seven years, Fred Hanson 
was employed in farm work at that place and then 
spent some time in Dakota. In the spring of 1883, 
accompanied by his brother, J. B. Hanson, he came 
to Polk county and located in the Thirteen Towns 
some months previous to its opening for settlement in 
August, when he filed his preemption claim on the 
land in section five, King township, where he has since 
made his home. The death of his father had occurred 
in Wisconsin and his mother lived with him in the 
house which he erected on the claim. J. B. Hanson 
also settled in King township and lived here for some 
twelve years before removing to a homestead near 
Bermidji, Minnesota. He was the pioneer blacksmith 
in the Thirteen Towns and the shop which he operated 



on his farm received the patronage of a wide teri'itory. 
The two brothers shared in the ownership of their 
first yoke of oxen and during the first years worked 
at the clearing of the land under this partnership 
before securing teams, individually. At that time 
work horses were rarely used in that section and- 
Mr. Hanson accomplished the greater part of the 
labor of clearing and breaking his land, which was 
covered with small timber, with the oxen, which were 
his only farm team for a number of years. In 
addition to the usual tasks of the settlers, he installed 
ditches which have developed some fine meadow land. 
During the years of his residence he has ably con- 
tributed his share to the industry and enterprise 
which has brought the conveniences and prosperity 
of the modern farming community, rapidly advancing 
the country 's development from the days when Crook- 
ston, forty miles distant and a four days journey in 
an ox cart was the trading point and the nearest 
wheat depot was thirty miles away. He was active in 
the first township election in which the name of the 
well knowTi pioneer, Mr. King, became permanently 



•S38 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



associated with the distritt. Jlr. Ilausoii served as 
township supervisor and elerk of the school board, 
liolding the latter office for four years. Mi\ Hanson 
was one of the men, who ambitious to receive training 
in the language and customs of the adopted country, 
eui'oUed as pupils in the first school organized in that 
region, of which Ed Stowe was teacher. In 1888, 
Mr. Hanson was married to Augusta M. Johnson and 
the ceremony was solemnized in a neighboring school 
house. She is a native of Sweden, wlio came from 
Waseca to Polk county with her father, Andrew John- 
son, who settled on a homestead in Lessor township, 
which since his death has continued in the possession 
of his family. Mr Hanson and his wife have a family 



of two sons and five daughters, Regina, Uilma, Selma, 
Julia, Henry, Alfred, and Anna. The oldest daugh- 
ter, Regina, was employed as a teacher in Norman and 
Clearwater counties before her marriage to Harold 
Cas-selmau, a farmer near Ada. Ililma taught paro- 
chial school in Dakota and Minnesota, is the wife of 
John Ilegge of Williston, North Dakota. Mr. Hanson 
and his family are members of the United Lutheran 
church of Mcintosh, in which church he is an active 
worker and trustee. He takes great enjoyment in the 
good sport afforded the lover of the hunt, by his state 
and often devotes his vacation to hunting trips after 
big game. 



JOHN A. ORVOLD. 



John A. Orvold. of Gully township, is a prominent 
citizen and well known farmer of the county and was 
actively associated with the founding of the village 
of Trail on the Soo railroad. He was bom in Norway 
on Februaiy 7, 1853, and was reared on a farm in his 
native land, coming to the United States when eighteen 
j'eare of age and joining an uncle who resided in "Wis- 
consin. In 1874, he went to Goodhue eoiuity, Minne- 
sota, and spent the next five years in various employ- 
ments, working as a farm laborer and for two seasons 
in the lumber regions of Wisconsin and then made 
his permanent location in Minnesota in 1879, when he 
bought raib'oad land in Stevens county. He developed 
this farm and remained in that county for fourteen 
years, engaging in farming with the exception of two 
years residence in Hancock. In 1892 he removed to 
Clay county and rented a large farm of a Minneapolis 
land company, which he operated until 1899 when he 
took a homestead claim in tlie Red Lake Indian 
reservation, which is part of his present farm in 
section twenty-nine of Gully township, three miles 
west of Gully and sixteen miles north of Fosston. He 
has since added more land to his estate and owns a 
quarter section in Chester township. He has devoted 
all his business activitv to his aericultnral interests 



and has met with unvaried success in all his pursuits, 
developing a fine farm. He raises blooded stock and 
devotes some attention to dairy farming. Mr. Orvold 
has ever lived that progi-essive and broad citizenship 
which has earned him the respect of all and is widely 
known in that section for his many worthy services in 
the public interests. He was present at the organiza- 
tion of the township and has served continuously in 
tlie various offices and is a justice of peace and a 
member of the school board at present. When the 
Soo railroad was liuilt through the township, he sold 
eighty acres of his homestead for the site of Trail 
which is one-half mile west of his home and has been 
identified with its growth and is a shareholder in the 
co-operative creamery there and was largely influen- 
tial in the organization of the Synod Lutlieran church. 
This village has grown to a goodh^ population and 
has proved of great convenience and benefit to the 
surrounding agricultural district and the low plains 
immediately to the north of the town are being rapidly 
developed by di'ainage into valuable farming land. 
Mr. Orvold was married in Stevens coimty to Thurine 
Olson, who was bom in Norway and eleven children 
were bom to them, of whom nine are now living. Ida, 
the eldest daughter, died July 26. 1914, in her twenty- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



330 



ninth yeai- and the youngest member of the family, 
Myrtle died in early childhood. The surviving chil- 
dren are, Amos and Tomine, who are both living on 
homesteads in North Dakota, the latter in McKenzie 
county ; Josephine, who is a trained nurse and resides 
with her parents; Lillie, the wife of Ed Carlson, of 
Clay county, Minnesota; Clarence, who lives in 



Dakota ; Mabel, a student in the high school at Fosston 
and member of the graduating class of 1917 ; Johnnie, 
Ole, and Hazel. Mr. Orvold was a member of the 
Lutheran church at Gully for a number of years, until 
the establishment of the Synod Lutheran church, in 
Trail of which he has since been a faithful supporter. 



JAMES T. SULLIVAN. 



Having had a large share of difficulties and losses in 
his career as a Polk county farmer, and yet having won 
a substantial and impressive success through his oper- 
ations as sucli by his good management and pereisteut 
industry, James T. Sullivan, proprietor of the 
Sullivan farm, which comprises the North half of 
Section 30, Sullivan township and is four miles and a 
half northeast of East Grand Forks, has shown that 
he possesses the qualities which always count well in 
the struggle for advancement among men. He was 
born in Lanark county, province of Ontario, Canada, 
December 10, 1853. He was prepared for the work of 
teaching school but did not enter the profession. His 
first money was earned as a timekeeper in a lumber 
camp when he was eighteen years old. He passed 
eleven months in the camp and on the river, and 
received a check for .$270 for his services. The next 
season he returned to his father's farm in Canada. 
His father came to Minnesota and Polk county in 1877 
and the next year James T. and the rest of the family 
joined him here. The children all remained with tlieir 
parents until 1881. 

On the arrival of the family in this county iu 1878 
the father filed on claims for his sons, that of James T. 
being the Noi'theast quarter of Section 30, on whirh 
he now lives. Before he took posses.sion of his claim 
it was jumped, but the man who jumped it afterward 
abandoned it and Mr. Sullivan retained the ownership 
of it without a contest. In 1882 he returned to his 
native county and there married Miss Elizabetli Hol- 
linger whom he at once brought to the new dwelling 
he had built on his land in 1881. He also bought the 



Northwest quarter of Section 30, and thus became the 
owner of the whole North half of that section, his 
new purchase having been improved by its former 
owner, 0. E. Thoresen. For many years Mr. Sullivan 
devoted his attention to raising grain and did well at 
it. But during the last six years he has been keeping 
cows on a large scale and breeding high gi-ade Hol- 
stein cattle. His herd consists of at least fifty head 
as a rule, and he milks twenty-five cows regularly, and 
to be supplied with feed for his cattle he uses two 
silos of generous proportions. 

Mr. Sullivan has been township clerk ten years, 
township assessor fifteen years and a member of the 
school board and its clerk and treasurer from the 
time when the school district was organized. His wife 
died in 1908 after they had lived together twenty-six 
years. She was the mother of five children one of 
whom, a daughter named Stella, died in 1898, aged 
eight. The four who are living are Charles and Well- 
ington, who are living at home, and Elizabeth and 
Wilfred, who are married. Elizabeth is the wife of 
Ralph Van Voores, who is employed in the office of 
the Northern Pacific railroad at East Grand Forks, 
and Wilfred married Miss Emily Jacobson, a resident 
of that city also. 

On November 8, 1911, Mr. Sullivan contracted a 
second marriage, which united him with Miss Eliza- 
beth Ryan. She was a teacher in the Polk county 
public schools for fourteen years, teaching her fii*st 
school at Mallory when she was but seventeen years 
old. She was also a stenographer in a law office in 
Grand Porks three years, and cared for her parents 



340 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



to the end of their lives. .She belongs to all the elubs 
and other useful organizations in her neighborhood 
and is an active worker in them and the ehureh 
societies and a very forceful and effective occasional 
speaker. She and her hasband are active members of 
the Catholic church of the Sacred Heart. Hail and 
other storms have seriously injured Mr. Sullivan's 



crops at times, and in 1887 a cyclone destroyed a new 
horse barn which he had just built and injured his 
house, causing a loss of several hundred dollars. In 
1884, when his whole crop was destroyed by hail he 
was appointed deputy county auditor under P. J. 
McGuire, who was the auditor for years but is now a 
resident of St. Paul. 



OLE S. TiASGAARD. 



In his thirty-seven years of residence in this county 
Ole S. Basgaard, who is now one of the enterprising 
and prosperous farmers of Esther township, has 
shown himself to be a man of progressiveness and 
energy, wise in the management of his aifairs and 
judicious in his support of undertakings for the wel- 
fare of the county and especially his home township, 
turning down none of merit aaid assisting none of 
doubtful propriety. He is an excellent citizen and 
is esteemed as such wherever he is known. 

Mr. Basgaard was born in Norway, March 25, 1847, 
and was brought to this country by his parents when 
he was about one year old. The parents located at 
Noskes, in Dane county, Wisconsin, about fourteen 
miles east of the city of Madison. After living there 
six years they moved to Coon Valley, Vernon county, 
Wisconsin, and there they died. Their son Ole 
remained at home until he reached the age of twenty- 
one, but when he was nineteen he was married to 
Miss Sevrena Theresa Vigesaa, also a native of Nor- 
way and brought to this country by her parents when 
she was young. 

When Mr. Basgaard reached the age of twenty-one 
he moved into this state and took up an 80 acre home- 
stead in Chippewa county, where he continued to live 
seven years, but he did not come to Polk county to 
live until May, 1878. He then took up a homestead 
of eighty acres on the prairie, but he did not prove up 
on this, aa he sold it before the proving up time came. 
His brother-in-law, Ole E. Larson, came to this county 
in 1878, and had acquired the ownership of 160 acres 
of the land Mr. Basgaard now owns, and the latter 



traded his interest in his prairie homestead to Mr. 
Larson for this quarter section. A few acres of it 
were broken up but there were no buildings on the 
place. It was railroad land and in dispute, but he 
proceeded to farm and improve it. When the dispute 
over it was settled he received the sum of $350 as a 
rebate for the buildings he had erected and the work 
he had done on the place. The Grand Marais river 
winds across the land, and for some time a great deal 
of it was overflowed and swampy. But it is all well 
drained now and produces excellent hay. 

The first dwelling Mr. Basgaard had on this land 
was made of bark and sod. In a little while this gave 
way to a little log house, and in this he made his home 
until he put up his present residence, Mhich was one 
of the best in its locality when it was built. Grain 
and hay have been his principal products on this farm 
until recently, when he has given a portion of his 
attention to raising live stock, preferring the Short- 
horn strain in cattle. In addition to his home farm 
he owns 120 acres of prairie land in Northland town- 
ship, three miles and a half distant from his home, 
but this is farmed by a tenant and is also devoted to 
grain, principally wheat. 

Mr. and Mrs. Basgaard were members of the Grand 
Marais Lutheran church. Mrs. Basgaard died 
March 1, 1897. They had nine children, five of whom 
are living. Hilda is now the wife of John Rule of 
Bellingham, Washington. Laura is the wife of A. C. 
Corliss, a street car conductor in Fargo, North Dakota. 
Stephen is living on a farm in Beltrami county, 
Minnesota. Eddie and Mandus are still living at 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



341 



home. Hendry married Miss Ida Johnson and died 
at the age of thirty-four. His widow and two chil- 
dren, Clarence and Walter, are living with his father- 
in-law. Sigvart was killed by lightning at the age of 



twenty-six. Carl died at the age of twenty-five. 
Emma, who was the wife of Peter Mattson, died at the 
age of thirty. 



JAMES 0. HOVLAND. 



This esteemed citizen of Polk county, who has been 
a prominent farmer in Northwestern Minnesota for 
many years and is now president of the Farmers' 
State Bank of Winger, was born iu Rock county, Wis • 
consin. May 25, 1861, and is a son of Lars J. and 
Ingeborg Hovland, who were born and reared in Nor- 
way and came to the United States in 1857, locating 
in Goodhue county, Minnesota, and remaining there 
until 1882, when they moved to Norman county, where 
the father took up a soldier's homestead. He had 
served nine months in the Civil war as a private iu 
Compau}^ M, First Regiment, Minnesota Volunteer 
Artillery, and after his location in Norman county he 
continued to live there until his death in 1908. He 
was a faithful and consistent member of Faaberg 
Lutheran church. 

James 0. Hovlaud got his academic education at 
St. Olaf 's school at Northfield and afterward pursued 
a course of special instruction in a business college in 
Rochester. In 1884 he moved to Rindal, in this 
county, where he opened a general store in partnerehip 
with Martin Anderson. As the firm had only $2,000 
capital the store was a small one, but the sales were 
large, and the venture was profitable. Mr. Hovlaad 
sold his interest in the biisiness at a profit at the end 
of three years, and then opened a store at the old 
Winger postoffice one mile and a half east of the site 
of the present village of Winger. The goods for this 



stoi-e had to be hauled from Beltrami, a distance of 
37 miles, and the freeze of 1888 injured the farmers' 
crops to such an extent that they were unable to pay 
their bills. Iu consequence of these difficulties the 
store was closed. 

Mr. Hovland 's next move was the purchase of his 
father's fanu in Norman county, which he still owns 
and has enlarged to 400 acres. He operated this farm 
until 1908, and since then it has been cultivated by a 
tenant, but Mr. Hovland made his home on it until 
1914, when he changed his residence to Winger. In 
connection with his farming industry he bred graded 
cattle for dairy purposes and also raised numbers of 
0. I. C. hogs, of which he still owns a fine drove. He 
also erected substantial and commodious buildings on 
the farm and equipped it with every modern machine 
needed for its advanced and progressive cultivation. 

In 1912 Mr. Hovland conceived the project of 
reorganizing the old state bank at Winger and induced 
many farmers to take stock in the enterprise. The 
reorganization was efi'ected under the name of the 
Farmers' State Bank of Winger with Mr. Hovland as 
its president. He has since devoted a part of his time 
and energy to the affairs of this institution, and it is 
flourishing vigorously under his prudent and energetic 
management, taking rank as one of the strongest and 
best managed fiscal institutions of its class in this 
part of the state of Minnesota. 



HANS 0. LEE. 



Hans 0. Lee, of Badger township, a prominent 
farmer of the county and proprietor of the Badger 
"Valley Farm, is a pioneer of this region, having 
located in Wisconsin in the early seventies. He was 



born in Norway, April 30, 1858, and came with his 
parents, Ole and Martha Lee to Grant County, Wis- 
consin, when ten years of age. There the father died. 
He assisted in the clearing of the timber land in Wis- 



342 



COMPENDIUM OP HISTORY AND BIOGR:\PHY OF POLK COUNTY 



consiu. Wheu he was sixteen years of age he left 
home to seek employment as a farm laborer and for 
ten years worked on a Fillmore and Norman county 
farm. During this time he helped defray expenses on 
the home place in Wisconsin, and thus was not able 
to advance his own interests by saving from his wages. 
Upon the opening of the Thirteen Towns, in 1883, he 
filed on land in section seven. Badger township, and 
entered upon his farming career with a capital of 
seven dollars. During the first years he worked in the 
hai-vest fields in Norman county and had but little 
time to give to the improvement of his tract. In 1886 
he was married to Lena Weger of Fillmore county, 
Mincsota, and his finances permitting but a small pay- 
ment, he purchased a team of horses and wagon from 
her father, on credit, and brought his wife to the new 
home in the wilderness. Their first home was in the 
sod claim shanty with the humble surroundings of 
pioneer life. The thrift and competent management 
which marked the years that followed appear in the 
model farm and prosperous interests of Mr. Lee. He 
has steadily added to his property and owned five 
hundred and twenty acres, but has given two hundred 
and forty to his sons, Ole Lee and Herman Lee. 
Badger Valley Farm now comprises two hundred and 
eighty acres of land, which in natural advantages of 



fertility of soil, as well as in its great productiveness 
under the direction of its owner, ranks as one of the 
most desirable farms in the county. The extent of 
his operations may be seen in his harvest of 5,000 
bushels of grain in 1915 and in his successful enter- 
prise in stock farming. He keeps a large herd of 
cattle, raising for the market and dairying purposes 
and is breeding Short Horn stock. In 1903 he erected 
the present country home, which replaced the log 
house which was the second home of the family. Jilr. 
Lee has always manifested an active interest in the 
welfare and progress of the community and has given 
able service to public interests as a member of the 
township board and of the school board. He has also 
been associated for five yeai-s with the co-operative 
creamery at Ei-skine as stockholder and director, and 
is a shareholder in the Scandia Bank at Erskine. He 
is a member of Sorum Lutheran Clmreh and is prom- 
inently identified with church affairs as trustee. 
Mr. Lee has a family of five children, Ole, Herman, 
Nels, Carl, and Martha, who married 0. T. Fretta, 
and lives about three miles east of her old home. Ole 
Lee is the owner of a one hundred and sixty acre 
farm, and Herman Lee of eighty acres, given them by 
their father, and they are associated with him in his 
agricultural interests. 



C. M. BERG. 



C. M. Berg, president of the First National bank 
at Mcintosh, has been a resident of the county since 
early childhood. He was born in Norway, at Grue 
Prestegjeld Solor, April 10, 1873. In 1888 his par- 
ents came, with their son and two daughters, from 
Norway to Minnesota, where the father, Martin T. 
Berg, settled on land in King township, Polk county, 
and became a well-known pioneer of that section. He 
is now a retired farmer and resides in Mcintosh. C. 
M. Berg was reared on the Polk county homestead 
and attended the public schools. "When he was seven- 
teen years of age he entered upon his business career 
and for some years was employed as a clerk in a 



general store at Mcintosh and later sold agi'ieultural 
implements on the road. His association with the 
banking interests of the county began in 1901, when he 
secured the position of bookkeeper and later wa.s made 
assistant cashier of the State bank at Mcintosh, and 
since that time has been identified with the successful 
operations of that institution. In 1901 "W. S. Short 
was the president of the corporation and S. H. Drew 
was the cashier. Two years later the bank was con- 
verted into a national bank and continued to be eon- 
ducted by the same officials until 1911, when Mr. 
Berg became president, having serv'ed as cashier from 
1905 until 1911, and in that position and as activo 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



343 



manager has displayed able executive ability and 
financial genius in directing its activities to a steadily 
increasing prosperity. In 1913 the present bank 
building was erected at the cost of $11,300 and was 
adequately equipped with interior furnishings and 
safety deposit vaults. Aside from his financial enter- 
prises, Mr. Berg has interested himself in quite ex- 
tensive investments in farm lands. As a public-spir- 
ited and progressive citizen, he has freely contributed 
his services and influence in behalf of the develop- 
ment and general welfare of the town and count}' 
and enjoys the respect and confidence of his asso- 
ciates in every field of activity. He is a member of 
the Minnesota and American Bankers associations and 



of the Independent Scandinavian Workingmen's as- 
.soeiation. Mr. Berg was married November 18, 1896, 
to Bertha Bjorgo. Mrs. Berg's parents were among 
the early settlers of the Thirteen Towns. Mr. Berg 
has served on the school board for nine years, one 
year of which he was jiresident (in 1914), and was 
appointed mayor of Mcintosh in 1906, serving as such 
until April, 1907. In church affiliations he is a mem- 
ber of St. John's church of the Norwegian Lutheran 
church, serving as treasurer for the past twenty-three 
yeai-s. He is a stockholder and treasurer of the North 
Star Dairy association, of Mcintosh, and is now presi- 
dent of the Mcintosh Commercial club. 



OLE LIND. 



This progressive and prosperous farmer, who owns 
the Southwest quarter of Section 22, Higdem town- 
ship, this county, and has his residence but one- 
quarter of a mile from that of his father and brother 
John, who live on the adjoining tract, is a native of 
Sweden, where his life began June 7, 1875. In 1888 
he was brought to the United States by his parents, 
Nels and Carrie Lind, who located for a few months 
at Warren, in Marshall county, Minnesota, and in the 
fall of the same year took up their residence on the 
farm on which the father stiU lives, and which he 
then purchased. The farm had 30 acres of its land 
plowed and contained a small log house which the 
family used as a dwelling until the father erected the 
present larger and more convenient residence. 

During the first summer the father worked out but 
did not save much, as the living of the family took 
nearly all his earnings. He went in debt for his land, 
but soon after locating on it bought a yoke of oxen 
and began to make it yield something in the way of 
cropa To keep the family, however, during the 
winter he cut cord wood and hauled it eighteen miles 
to Warren, where he received about $3 a cord for it. 
The father has added forty acres to the farm and 
made all the improvements there are on it. He has 
recently sold it to his son John but continues to make 



his home on it. The mother died January 28, 1914. 
The father has served as road overseer. 

The four sons in the family, Peter, Ole, Johann and 
John, aU worked at home during their minority. 
When they left home Peter, Ole and Johann bought 
240 acres of land which the three worked together 
until the death of Johann at the age of twenty-one. 
One year later Peter and Ole divided the land, Peter 
taking 160 acres and Ole eighty acres. Each has since 
bought an additional tract of 160 acres, the two 
purchases constituting the South half of Section 22. 
The boys all made their home with their father until 
1911 except Johann, who died prior to that year. 

Ole Lind's farm was originally the tree claim of 
Robert Olson, and that gentleman set out ten or eleven 
acres in trees which have already yielded a profitable 
supply of sawlogs, the trees being principally cotton- 
wood and box-elder. Mr. Lind has set out 500 or 600 
additional trees mainly to sei"ve as windbreaks. He 
has built a good dwelling house and made other 
improvements on his land and is engaged principally 
in raising grain, but he also keeps five or six milk 
cows regularly. He has taken an active and helpful 
part in the affairs of the township and served it as 
supervisor. 

On July 16, 1908, Mr. Lind was married to Miss 



344 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



Clara Olson, a daughter of Ole E. Olson, of Higdem 
township, who came to Polk county in his young man- 
hood. ]Mrs. Lind was born in Marshall county but 
not far from her present home. Two children have 
been born of the marriage, Matilda Caroline and 



belong to the Kongsvinger Lutheran church, of which 
Ole Lind is now one of the trustees, and in which his 
father has been active during the whole of his resi- 
dence in this county. During seven years of the life 
of the late Thomas Hendrickson Mr. Lind was his 



Nicholas Oliver. All the members of the family partner in operating a threshing outfit. 



STEENER KNUTSON. 



Steener Kuutson, father to the Steenerson family 
who have been prominent in the history and develop- 
ment of Polk county, was born in Telemarken, Nor- 
way, June 30, 1819, and was the only son of Knut and 
Annie Steenerson, of Berge, in Margedal, Norway. 

He was educated in the common school of that 
Parish and graduated as teacher from the Kvitseid 
Seminary, and taught school for several years in 
neighboring parishes. In 1844 he married Birgit 
Liefson Roholt, who was bom jMarch 30, 1821. They 
bought a farm named Roumdal, but sold it iu a short 
time and removed to another farm named Moaas, 
which they owned and operated for several years, and 
finally sold out in 1851 and sailed for America. 

At this time three sons had been born to them, 
Knute, Leif, and Christopher. He used to say his 
resolution to leave his native land was based upon 
economic conditions. His earthly possessions were 
small and there was little prospect of any increase in 
them, except in the item of children, in which line he 
had already made a good start. Reading about the 
opportunities in America and its free institutions, he 
desired to get there before his family would be so 
large and his purse so small that he would be unable 
to get away. This calculation proved quite correct, 
for when he arrived in Dane county, Wisconsin, he 
had just enough mone.y left to buy a cow and a couple 
of two year old steers. Here he rented forty acres 
of land, and taught school in the neighborhood for a 
time. Finally, hearing of Minnesota Territory and 
its cheap lands, he decided to go there and locate a 
home. Leaving his family in Dane county, he reached 
LaCrosse and was told by Mons Anderson, a merchant 



there, that he could get a homestead north of what is 
now LaCrosse, and he went out to look at it, but 
thought the soil was too sandy; so he went on across 
the Mississippi into Houston county, Minnesota, and 
selected a homestead at Luna VaUey. Here he hired 
out to cut cord-wood for some one at LaCrosse, and 
was cheated out of his pay. 

One day, towards spring, he was walking across the 
Mississippi on the ice with an ax on his shoulder. The 
ice, being weak, broke under him and he fell in and in 
the struggle to get out the ax fell on his left hand and 
cut the middle finger clean off. This laid him up for 
the balance of the winter. When spring opened he 
was so far recovered that he was able to go to work 
and hired out to go on a raft from LaCrosse to St. 
Louis, which trip netted him fifteen dollars. 

In 1853 the family joined him at LaCrosse and they 
settled down on their claim at Luna Valley. Bj' this 
time the family had increased to four, another boy 
having been born and named Halvoi". They came 
riding behind a yoke of oxen on a wagon, with wheels 
made of blocks sawed from a log. The names of the 
oxen were "Duke" and "Dime." The cow was also 
along, her name was Jevrei, meaning precious and she 
proved herself to be precious in fact as well as in 
name; she was the mainstay of the family for years, 
and was famous far and wide for the quality and 
quantity of her milk, and the fine calves she raised. 

On the trip on the raft to St. Louis he contracted 
the fever and ague and was laid up with the disease 
for nearly a year. When his wife told of these times 
and of the hardship endured it was enough to moisten 
the eyes of the most stolid. The countrv was full of 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



34E 



Indians, wliieh constantly engendered fear, as the 
county was sparsely settled, the buildings poor, pro- 
visions low, want and starvation staring them in the 
face, and she the only provider and protector to the 
sick husband and the four small childi'en. The yoke 
of oxen had to be mortgaged to get flour and pro- 
visions. A year and a half passed before Steener got 
his health back, and a chance to sell his claim for 
enough to get out of debt and to make a new start. 
They then moved to the town of Sheldon, Houston 
county, and took up a claim in Section 30, where they 
resided for over twenty years and raised a big family ; 
the children, in addition to those already mentioned, 
being Andrew, Ellas, Ellen, Anne, and John. 

At the outbreak of the Civil war the parents had a 
nucleus for a small army, which taxed their ability to 
the utmost to keep in proper discipline ; but under the 
stern orders of their superiors the younger ones soon 
became efficient in planting, hoeing, and husking corn, 
and other duties on the farm, and chafing under the 
situation that all were too young to partake in the 
defense of their country. Mr. Knutson finally, in 
1864, volunteered in Company K of the Eleventh Min- 
nesota, and served to the close of the war. 

In 1871 the two older boj's took land in Polk 
county, Minnesota, and selected a claim for the father 
in Section 30, town of Vineland, to where he went in 
1875, and the rest of the family followed in 1876. 
Here he lived until he passed to the other life, in 1881. 
He served as Town Supervisor of Vineland for several 
years. He was also active in church work, and one of 
the organizers of the first Lutheran Church in 



Houston county. Mother Steenerson died twelve 
years later, or in 1893, and both are buried in the 
Climax Cemetery, where appropriate monuments mark 
their last resting place. 

Few have been more closely identified with the 
growth and development of the State than they were ; 
and few have reared as large a familj' of boys and 
girls, under adverse conditions, all of whom grew to 
manhood and became prominent citizens of Polk 
county, and elsewhere. 

The following is a chronology of the offices held in 
the County and State by the Steeuersons: Knute, 
sheriff of Chippewa county in 1876 ; Levi, county com- 
missioner of Polk county for several years; Christo- 
pher, the first superintendent of schools of Polk 
county, in 1876, and later clerk of court for many 
years; Halvor, county attorney of Polk county, state 
senator, and member of Congi-ess ; Andrew, sheriff of 
Polk county ; Elias, postmaster of Crookston for nine 
years, and mayor of Fisher in the early eighties ; John, 
mayor of Esmond, North Dakota ; Anne, teacher and 
member of the school board at Climax ; Ellen, teacher. 

No doubt but that the old folks longed to go back to 
their native land during the times of distress, when 
pioneering in Houston county, and possibly felt they 
had made a mistake, yet that thought never found an 
utterance. Their faith in their adopted country and 
its institutions seemed to be implicit, and their hope 
for final success seemed to be instinctive. They be- 
came part of their adopted country, and that they had 
made no mistake they were well satisfied during their 
declining years. 



JAMES NISBET. 



James Nisbet, an early citizen and for many years a 

prominent farmer of Huntsville township, was born 

in county Lanark, Ontario, June 7, 1846, and died in 

Polk county, November 27, 1910. He was the son of 

"William and Cristena (Lindsay) Nisbet, who were 

natives of Scotland. James Nisbet was one of four 

brothers who located in Polk county in the earlv 
22 



seventies and were widely identified with the settle- 
ment and development of the western part of the 
county. David Nisbet died a number of years ago; 
Robert Nisbet was a resident of Nisbet township, 
which was named in his honor and Thomas Nisbet was 
for many years a farmer in Huntsville township and 
was living in Grand Forks at the time of his death in 



346 



COMPENDIUM OP HISTORY AND BIOGR,\PHY OF POLK COUNTY 



1914. James Nisbet remained in Canada until his 
early manhood when he went to AVisconsin and for 
nine years worked in the lumber woods on the Chip- 
pewa river, employed in the camps in winter and 
during the summer season, driving logs on the river. 
In 1875 he came to Polk county, where his brother, 
David Nisbet had already located, and secured a 
homestead. For several years in company with Joel 
Robertson, he lived at the bachelor home of David 
Nisbet, each member of the household owning and 
operating his own farm. In 1880 lie returned to 
Canada and was married in February of that year to 
Cristena Morrow, daughter of William and Margaret 
(Geddes) Morrow. David Morrow, a brother and 
Mary, a sister, the wife of Thomas Welch were already 
residents of Polk county and another sister Janet, 
who married Robert Bain, later located at Fisher, 
where she now lives. After his marriage, Mr. Nisbet 
erected a house of hewed logs, cut from the timber 
along the Marais river, which crossed his fann. This 
house which is still standing, with a few simple fur- 
nishings was the finst home of the family and they 
continued to live there until 1883 when the present 
modern house was built. Mr. Nisbet steadily pros- 



pered in his farming enterprises and built up a fine 
property, setting out groves and equipping the place 
with large barns. He was ever actively interested in 
behalf of the general welfare of the community and 
gave able service as a member of the school board. In 
fraternal circles, he was a well known member of the 
Masonic chapter at Ci'ookstou. His death occurred on 
his homestead, in his sixty-fourth year. He is 
survived by his wife and two children, Margaret 
Evelyn, who married William Porter, a grain dealer 
at Grand Forks; and William James. Myrtle Chris- 
tina, the youngest daughter, died in childhood. Wil- 
liam J. Nisbet was married to Eva, the daughter of 
James McDonald, of Nisbet township, and they have 
one child, Herbert James. Mr. Nisbet is a farmer, 
owning a part of his father's estate of four hundred 
and twenty-five acres. Mrs. Nisbet has continued to 
make her home on the farm since her Inisbaud's death 
and is interested in its management. She is a member 
of the Farmers club at Mallorj'. Although reared as a 
member of the Methodist church, Mrs. Nisbet has 
always been a loyal supporter and active worker in the 
Bethel Presbyterian church, of which her husband 
was a member. 



PATRICK QUIGLEY. 



Patrick Quigley, a pioneer of Polk county and well 
known citizen, has been a resident of Tynsid township 
since 1871. He came to the United States from Ire- 
land and for a number of years was employed in rail- 
road construction work and during the time that he 
was employed on the Union Pacific road, witnessed 
the driving of the Golden Spike at the union of the 
east and west branches. He gradually worked west- 
ward, visiting Chicago before its historic fire, and 
came to Minnesota to work on the Great Northern 
road, which was being extended west from Brainerd. 
In September, 1871, he took a preemption claim in 
Tynsid township. He was accompanied by Matthew 
Martin, Michael Quirk and Barney Haggerty, who 
located on adjoining tracts of land. This was before 



any survey had been made in that region and when 
choice of location permitted them to settle on the 
timber land along the river. Mr. Quigley erected a 
log house and engaged upon his task of farm build- 
ing, subsequently purchasing railroad land for whiih 
he paid from five to eight dollars an acre. He con- 
tinued his farming operations for some sixteen years, 
developing a fine farm of six hundred acres, equipped 
with modem buildings, his farming enterprise for the 
most part being devoted entirely to the raising of 
gi'ain. Of late years he has divided his land among 
his children and retained seventy-five acres for his 
own use. This is in section fifteen of Tynsid tovvn.sliip. 
Mr. Quigley is one of the oldest and best known 
citizens of the county, where the many yeare of his 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



347 



residence have been enriched by the kindly service and 
genial friendsliip which have characterized his career. 
Like many of his gifted country men, a native humor 
and genius for relating tales, enlivened his rich store 
of interesting anecdotes of pioneer days; his memory 
retaining many amusing incidents which made for a 
good laugh in that period of privations and hard work. 
He has always been a loyal supporter of the demo- 
cratic party and influential in public affairs and has 
given able service in the various local offices of public 
responsibility. Mr. Quigley was married to Elizabeth 
Cookman, whose death occurred in 1911. Nine chil- 



dren were born to this union, of whom seven survive, 
Mary, the wife of W. B. Hamilton, of Fisher, Nicholas, 
Fred, Tom, who is living in Seattle, Washington, 
Patrick, Frank, and Nellie. The latter has kept the 
home for Mr. Quigley since the death of the mother. 
A son and daughter, Willie and Laura, died in their 
yoiith. Fred Quigley, Patrick Quigley and Frank 
Quigley are all Polk county farmers, operating the 
land given ihem by their father. Mr. Quigley was 
one of the original members of the Catholic church at 
Fisher. 



CARL QUERN. 



The scion of a family that has played an important 
part in the affairs of Polk county from the early days 
of its history, Carl Quern, one of the progressive and 
prosperous farmere of Higdem township has well 
sustained the record and traditions of the family in 
his own career. He is a native of Minnesota, born 
in Renville county, July 2, 1871. In 1895, when his 
father, C. C. Quern, bought 480 acres of land in Sec- 
tion 21, Higdem township, Carl and his brother-in- 
law. Gust Nelson, rented the tract together and occu- 
pied it as tenants for six years. The next five yeai's 
were passed by Carl in Roseau county, Minnesota, 
where he had taken up a homestead. He proved up 
on this and then sold it for $1,600, having put fully 
one-half of it under cultivation. 

In 1905 he returned to the Higdem township farm 
of 480 acres in this county, of which he was given 
charge, and the next year he w as placed in control of 
the whole section, his father having bought the remain- 
ing East quarter for $5,600, although the whole of 
the other three-quarters had cost him only $<3,000. 
The son managed the whole section until two years 
ago, when Mr. Nelson returned from Roseau county, 
where he also had taken up a homestead. Since then 
each of them has operated one-half of the section, but 
Mr. Quern farms 80 acres lying near by that is owned 
by his wife. 



The dwelling house on the land occupied by Mr. 
Quern was there when his father bought the tract, but 
the son has done some building almost eveiy year, and 
among his works of construction are commodious and 
convenient barns. He keeps over fifty head of cattle 
and has a fine herd of Shorthorns started. In 1915 
he raised 8,000 bushels of wheat, oats and barley, 
the crops to which he has given his attention princi- 
pally, but he also plants regularly about forty acres in 
com, of which his crops are also quite large. 

The public affairs of his township have received 
Mr. Quern 's interested and servieable attention at all 
times. He has served on the township board and is 
now the township supei-visor. While living in Roseau 
county he helped to organize a new township there. 
He is independent in politics and a Lutheran in relig- 
ion with membership in Granville church, of which 
he is also one of the trustees. On January 17, 1901 , 
he was united in marriage with Miss Ella Syrstad, wlio 
was born on the farm of eighty acres which she now 
owns. She is a daughter of Andrew and Ellen (Rek- 
stad) Syrstad, who settled on that farm in 1878, after 
having lived eight years in Wisconsin, where they 
were married. Both were born in Norway and both 
died on the farm in Higdem township, the mother 
passing away when her daughter and only child, Ella, 
was in her infancy, and the father in 1911. 



348 



COMPEXDIUM OF HISTORY AXD BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



Mrs. Quern's father married as liis second wife Miss 
Marit Solstad. They had four cliildren who reached 
maturity : Mrs. JIary Seines and her brother Ole 
Syrstad, who live on parts of the old homestead; 
Martin Syrstad, who has been reared from his child- 



hood by ilrs. C. C. Quern, and their sister Annie, who 
is the wife of Samuel Dahl, of Xashwauk, Jliunesota. 
The children of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Quern are Arthur, 
Evelyn, Oscar, Jlildred and Iner. 



JOHN AMUNDSON. 



Being the onlj- one left of the I'csolute and self- 
reliant men who broke into the wilderness of Fairfax 
township, this county, and laid the foundations of its 
civil institutions and started it on its career of prog- 
ress, development and service to mankind, John 
Amuudson, whose fine farm is located in Section 22 
seven miles southeast of Crookston, is entitled to 
special consideration as a type of hardihood and 
endurance that is fast fading from view, and also for 
the service he has rendered to the localitj- in which he 
lives and the people of Polk county in general. 

Mr. Amundson was bom in Norway, August 24, 
1848, and came to the United States in 1867, when he 
was nineteen years of age, joining his two sisters and 
one brother, who had come over a year before and 
were located in Dunn county, Wisconsin. He passed 
eleven years in that state, working as a cook in lumber 
camps, a cutter in saw mills and a clerk in stores. In 
1878 he came to this county, and during the next three 
years clerked in the .store of W, D. Baile,y, then ren- 
dered the same service for three years in the large 
general store of Fontaine & Anglim, and during the 
two years following in otlier stores. When he arrived 
in this county, however, he took up a lioniestead, which 
is part of the farm on which he now lives. 

It was necessary that the new homesteader should 
make his living at some other occupation until his 
land could be put into condition to yield one, so he 
kept on clerking and hired others to break up his 
farm and make improvements on it. He proved up on 
it in due time at $1.25 an acre and lived on it during 
the year 1881. He then returned to Crookston to live, 
and since then has dwelt in the cit3' at several different 
times. He was an excellent writer, very skillful with 



his pen, and a good accountant in those days, and his 
services were frequently required in different county 
offices. In 1884 and 1885 he served as deputy register 
of deeds under John Patterson, and in 1890 and 1891 
filled the same position under John Loeken. In 1892 
he was himself elected register of deeds as the candi- 
date of the People's party, for a term of two years. 

Mr. Amundson also rendered the federal govern- 
ment valued service for some eight months, taking the 
census of three townships in 1890 and afterward doing 
abstract work in the court house for the United States 
census bureau. He was a potent force in helping to 
organize Fairfax township and was its first clerk, 
serving it afterward in various other positions. The 
first township election was held at his residence, and 
that has since been the township meeting place for all 
pulilic duties. For many years in succession he was 
school clerk for his district. 

In addition to his original homestead Mr. Amund- 
son now owns 400 acres of good land, his farm being 
all in one body, and all well improved and mostly 
under cultivation. He raises grain and live stock, 
keeping generally about 35 head of Shorthorn cattle 
and a large number of hogs. He also milks 25 cows 
to furnish cream for an extensive wholesale trade he 
has built up. During the last three years he has had 
20 to 25 acres in corn, and the yield has been abun- 
dant as his land is well ditched and drained. There 
is a county ditch half a mile south of the farm which 
his influence and enterprise were most forceful in 
procuring. 

At the age of twenty-eight Mr. Amundson was mar- 
ried in Wisconsin to Miss Hilda Jensen, also a native 
of Norway. They have six children: Alfred, who is 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



349 



living ou the farm; Arthur, who is employed in the 
Crookston office of the Great Northern railroad ; Josie, 
who is the wife of Edward Simpson, of Crookston; 
Olive Giua, who is the wife of Gust. Barnass, of Crook- 



ston; and Sophia and "Olive," who are living at 
home. All the children have attended the Crookston 
high school, and all the members of the family belong 
to the United Lutheran church in Crookston. 



ARNE J. HAUGEN. 



Arne J. Haugen, a well known farmer of Badger 
township and a director in the State Bank of Erskine, 
was born in Norway, March 3, 1867, and came to the 
United States as a lad of eighteen years, borrowing the 
money for his passage from his brother. For a few 
months he worked on a farm in Ottertail county and 
in November, 1885, joined his father iu Polk county, 
where they located on the land, in section twenty-six 
of Badger township which is Mi*. Haugen 's present 
home. They continued to work iu partnership and 
his father lived there until his death in May, 1911, at 
the advanced age of eighty-two. His wife's death pre- 
ceded his by eight years. Arne J. Haugen has never 
married and with his sister, Gustava Haugen, is the 
only surviving member of the family. The latter 
makes her home with her brother as housekeeper. The 
Haugen farm was formerly the homestead of Julius 
Bradley and upon coming into Mr. Haugen 's posses- 



sion was for the most part wild land and occupied 
only by a claim shack. He has put eighty acres in 
cultivation and has reclaimed some low land with 
ditching. The remaining tract is retained as pasture 
land, Mr. Haugen being interested in raising high- 
grade stock. He also engages in dairying. Through 
his able efforts and farming ability he has built up a 
prosperous estate of two hundred acres and has also 
given his service and attention in other fields of local 
activity, being identified with two notable enterprises 
of that region, as vice president of the co-operative 
creamery at Erskine and stockholder and director iu 
the Erskine State bank. He has been frequently 
called to public service by his fellow citizens and 
has held the ofSces of township assessor and township 
treasurer, chairman of the board and for fifteen years 
was a member of the school board. 



PETER J. HEDLUND. 



This highly esteemed and truly representative 
farmer of Higdem township, who, in compauj' with 
and assisted by his sons, eiiltivates 410 acres of land 
that is highly improved and very productive, was 
born in the province of Vermland, Sweden, May 15, 
1846, and came to the United States in 1888, coming 
direct to Polk county on his an-ival in this country 
as he had relatives living here. He had been a farmer 
in his native land but had no capital, as all his early 
manhood had been devoted to the service of his 
parents. He had, however, increased and intensified 
his self-reliance through service in the Swedish army, 
and felt equal to any requirement his new home might 
make of him. 



Soon after his arrival in this couuty he bought 
eighty acres of land of the railroad company at $7 an 
acre, going in debt for the purchase money and work- 
ing out at farm labor to provide for his living and 
pay the debt. In 1888 he put up a little log house 
as a home for his family, and this was occupied by it 
until 1915, when he erected an eight-room modern 
farmhouse with every present-day convenience, includ- 
ing a hot water heating plant, the cost of the structure 
being more than $4,000. 

Mr. Hedlund and his sons are engaged in general 
farming and raising live stock, and they have pros- 
pered at the business on a large scale. The parents 
of the household were married in Sweden and had six 



350 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



children before comiug to this countri^, the youngest 
of their seven being bora in Polk coimty. The 
mother's maiden name was Mary Johnson, and the 
children are Peter X., John, Annie, Johannes, Emil, 
Maria and AVilliam. Auuie is the wife of John Strong 
and lives in Marshall county four miles from her 
father's home. Maria is the wife of Lars Kleven and 
they are engaged in farming in North Dakota. 

Emil, the fourth son of the family, has a homestead 
in Beltrami county, but he still lives at home with 
his parents and his brothers, all of whom are, like 
himself, unmarried. Peter, John and Johannes own 



290 acres of laud near the family homestead and they 
all work together, farming their own and their 
father's land to the best advantage. Being progres- 
sive and studious young men, they apply to their 
farming operations the results of their study and 
observation and conduct them according to the most 
approved methods of the present day. They and their 
father usually vote with the Republican party in gen- 
eral elections, and they all take an active and service- 
able part in the affairs of their township, being keenly 
alive to everything that is likelj- to improve conditions 
for it and its residents. 



OLE n. BANG. 



This enterprising, progressive and very successful 
farmer is probably the best known man in North- 
western Polk county, and his fine home on the bank of 
the Red River of the North, Section 17 and adjoining 
sections, Higdem township, is one of the most attrac- 
tive and valuable in the county, and one of the most 
hospitable and popular rural resorts in this part of 
the countrJ^ It is one mile south of the county line, 
three miles south of Oslo and about twenty miles north 
of Grand Porks. 

Mr. Bang was born in Valges, Norway, October 17, 
1847, and came to the United States in the spring of 
1869, locating at Madison, Wisconsin. He had lived 
in Christiania, the capital of his native land, and had 
there worked at his trade as a tailor until he saved 
enough money to bring him to this country and give 
him a start here. He had relatives at Madison, and 
worked at his trade in and about that city three yeare, 
saving his earnings and getting ready for future 
undertakings of greater magnitude. 

In 1872 Mr. Bang moved to Taylors Palls, Minne- 
sota, and there during the next five years he carried 
on a prosperous merchant tailoring business. At the 
end of the period named he moved up the St. Croix 
valley to Grantsburg, Burnett county, Wisconsin, 
where he opened a general store on the $3,000 capital 
he had saved in his eight years' work in this eountrj-. 



While conducting his store he also bought tax titles 
in timber lands about thirty miles up the St. Croix 
river until he had acquired title to about two sections. 
The sale of such titles then being over, he began to 
cut the timber on his holdings, which he continued to 
do for three years. The land had been cut over but 
there was still timber standing on it amounting to 
about one million and a half feet, and ^Ir. Bang 
found cutting this very profitable. At the end of six 
years of storekeeping and timber cutting he found he 
had accumulated a capital of $15,000, and he deter- 
mined to change his base of operations. 

In 1883 Mr. Bang came to Crookston and ])ought 
the Scandinavian Hotel and saloon, then owned by 
Evan Overland, and in these he conducted a profitable 
business for six years. He then invested in 160 acres 
of his present farm on Red river, and located on it 
and began the improvements which have made his 
place so productive and valuable. He kept on buying 
land at low rates until he owned 2,000 acres, pui*- 
chasing a whole section of school land at $6. .50 an acre, 
railroad land at $9 to $18 and other land at $10 an 
acre. He has since sold all but 900 acres. He im- 
proved the whole body and made it productive, how- 
ever, while he owned it, giving his whole time and 
attention to it and seeking no other occupation except 
for four years, during which he was associated in the 




p 



COMPENDIUJI OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POIaK COUNTY 



351 



hardware trade with John Brant at East Grand Forks, 
and of late years being a stockholder in the Arneson 
Mercantile company of East Grand Forks. 

Half of Mr. Bang's 900-acre farm is in timber, 
making a fine pasturage. Still he raised in 1915 
some 10,000 bushels of wheat, barley, oats and flax. 
He keeps forty head of Shorthorn cattle and thirty of 
horses, and milks fifteen cows to make butter for 
private customers in Grand Forks. He has shown 
fruit can be raised to advantage here, having 300 
bearing apple trees whose products have taken pre- 
miums in exhibits at Crookston. In politics he is a 
Republican and in religion a Lutheran, being an 



active member and foreman of the governing board in 
the Mesopotamia United church. 

Mr. Bang was married at Blue Earth, Minnesota, in 
1876, to Miss Jennie Olson, who was born on the 
ocean. They have six children living: Emma, who 
is the wife of Victor Peterson of Grand Porks ; Annie, 
Henry, Rose, and Elida, who are living at home ; and 
Clara, who is the wife of Ole Quern, as indicated in a 
sketch of C. C. Quern, to be found in this work. Mr. 
Bang is a fisherman of some devotion to the sport and 
frequently visits the trout streams of Wisconsin to 
gratify his taste in this direction. 



K. E. FLASKERUD. 



K. E. Plaskerud, of Brandsvold township, a well- 
known farmer and the clerk of that township, is a 
native of Iowa, born in Winneshiek county, in 1861. 
His parents were natives of Norway and were among 
the first of their countrymen to emigrate to the United 
States. In 1864 they removed to Freeborn county. 
Minnesota, from Iowa, and there K. E. Plaskerud 
was reared. When he was twenty-three years of age 
he went to North Dakota and bought land in Grand 
Forks county and lived there until 1891, when ho 
came to Polk county and purchased the 160 acres on 
section 17 of Brandsvold township, which is his pres- 
ent home. This place had been the homestead of 
Andrew Thronson, who had settled on it in 1883. He 
had cleared about twenty acres and built a one-room 
log house and received $1,300 from Mr. Plaskerud 
for the property. The latter has put 120 acres under 
cultivation, reclaiming some twenty-five acres of low- 
land with ditches and has every acre in use. With 
capable management and progressive farming meth- 
ods he has increased the value of his land to seventy- 
five dollars an acre and has equipped his farm with 
good buildings. He engages successfully in dairy 
farming and stockraising, breeding Red Polled cattle, 
and sells his dairy produce to the creamery at Poss- 
ton, four miles northwest of his place. Mr. Plaskerud 



is a carpenter and aside from his farming occupa- 
tions has been busily employed at that trade. He 
has ever taken a public spirited interest in the wel- 
fare of the community and has given his services and 
influence freely in support of the best interests of 
the county and has capably discharged the duties of 
the various township offices to which he has been 
elected. He has served as chairman of the township 
board, treasurer of the township, justice of the peace 
and eleven years as township clerk, which office he 
now holds. As a member of the school board for 
nineteen years, he has given his particular interest to 
the development of the educational system of the dis- 
trict, and school No. 282 stands on land which he 
donated for school purposes. Mr. Plaskerud is not 
pledged to any political faith, but reserves the right 
to vote for his own views and the man of his choice. 
He is a shareholder and secretary and former director 
of the Farmers Cooperative store at Posston, a pros- 
perous enterprise which has proved of great benefit to 
the agricultural district. The company has over 
seventy stockholders, with a capital stock of $73,000, 
and conducts an annual business of about twenty-five 
thousand dollars. Mr. Plaskerud was married in 
North Dakota to Gunueld Milfald, who was bom in 
Norway in 1868. Ten children have been born to this 



352 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



union. The two oldest sons, Edwin and Clarenee, and Melvin, are all living with their parents. Jlr. 
have taken claims in Montana and the other children, Flaskerud and his family are members of the Synod 
Gilbert, Selmer, Clara, Olga, Mabel, Henry, Autou Liztheran church at Fosston. 



ANDREW HEIERSTAD. 



This wide-awake and progressive farmer, who is 
prosperous at his business because he knows how to 
manage it to good advantage and make every hour of 
his time and cvei'y ounce of his energy profitable, has 
a large and fertile farm in section thirty-four, Ilig- 
dem township, fifteen miles northwest of East Grand 
Forks, which he has acquired wholly by his own in- 
dustry, thrift and good business capacity, and which 
by his skill as a farmer he has made one of the attrac- 
tive and valuable rural homes in the township of its 
location. 

Mr. Heierstad was bom in Norway, January 22, 
1843, and came to the United States in 1869, locating 
for a time in Winneshiek county, Iowa. There he was 
employed as a farm laborer at $16 a month, and he 
lost even that meager pay. He worked at harvesting 
and threshing and loaned out his money and never got 
some of it back. In the spring of 1878 he came to 
Polk county with $1,000 in cash and took up a home- 
stead and a tree claim, and on these he has passed 
his time and expended his energies ever since. He 
planted five acres of his homestead and ten acres of 
his tree claim in timber, and he now has fifteen acres 
of fine wood land which he has kept clean and culti- 
vated and developed into one of the best tracts of 
artificial timber in the county. It consists of ash, 
box elder and cotton wood trees and is very flourish- 
ing. 

Mr. Heierstad 's first dwelling on his land was a 
small log house which has been built in as a part of 



the more modern and commodious residence he has 
since erected. For breaking the first ten acres of his 
land he was obliged to hire the service, as he had no 
oxen of his own, but since then he has depended on 
himself and has made progress nearly all the time, 
although he has several times had the greater part of 
his crops destroyed by hail, sometimes scarcely saving 
enough for seed, and had three horses and two cows 
killed in his barn by lightning in one storm, but saved 
the barn. His principal attention has been given to 
raising grain, and in 1915 he produced 2,000 bushels 
of wheat, 1,200 bushels of oats and 500 bushels of 
barlej'. He has recently purchased twenty acres of 
timber land on the Red river two miles distant from 
his farm, but which he uses in connection with the 
farm. 

After living in dreary loneliness as a bachelor for 
twelve years on this farm in Higdem township, Mr. 
Heierstad was married in 1890 to Miss Christine 
Torgeson, who died six months later. Then, on Feb- 
ruary 22, 1891, he contracted a second marriage, 
which united him with Miss JIaret Sletteu. They 
have three children : Mary, who is the wife of Henry 
Hanson and has one child, their son Arthur, but who, 
with her husband and child, is still living with her 
parents; and Gina and Hilda, who are also living at 
home. All the members of the family belong to the 
Synod Lutheran church and take a very cordial and 
helpful interest in the affairs of the congregation in 
which they hold their membership. 



ARNT OLSON. 



Owning one of the finest farms in the northern part 
of Polk county, which he has redeemed from the waste 
and made what it is, and which he has improved with 



a fine large dwelling house, commodious barns and 
other necessary structures, Arnt Olson, whose land is 
the Northwest quarter of Section 10 and the Northeast 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



353 



quarter of Section 9, in Higdem township, is well 
fixed in worldly possessions, and he has the satisfac- 
tion of knowing that all he has he has acquired by his 
own persistent industry, his careful frugality and his 
good judgment in the management of his affairs. 

Mr. Olson was born in Norway about eighty years 
ago, and when he first came to the United States 
passed about six j-ears and a half in Wisconsin work- 
ing in tlie pineries, at sawmills and on river drives. 
He then returned to his native land, where he 
remained two years and a half. On his return to this 
country in 1879 he located in Polk county, Minnesota, 
and took up a homestead which is pai't of the farm on 
which he now lives. He had only $200 in money, but 
settled down determined to win his way in spite of 
all difBculties that might arise in his progress. He 
built a little log house with no floor in it, but this he 
occupied only a few months. He then built a better 
dwelling with a floor and turned the first structure 
into a stable. 

The second quarter section of land Mr. OLson 
acquired was railroad land for which he paid $8 an 
acre. This was flat and wet, as was a large part of 
his other land, and he was not able for some time to 
raise any crops of value. The new section was devoted 



largely to raising hay, but this was often spoiled by 
the water on the land and his other crops were injured 
by early frosts. But he persisted in his efforts, grad- 
ually getting his farm drained and improved, and 
then it began to respond to the persuasive hand of 
the husbandman in a very fruitful manner, which it 
has done in an increasing volume steadily ever since. 
In addition to this farm he owns a tract of eighty 
acres half a mile distant in Marshall county, the farm 
being on the line between that county and Polk, two 
miles east of the Red river, three and one-half miles 
southeast of Oslo, five and one-half miles southwest 
of Alvardo and twenty miles north of Grand Forks. 
He raises wheat, oats and barley, and produces large 
quantities of each. 

Two years ago, that is in 1913, Mr. Olson built his 
present large dwelling house and fine new bams. He 
has had three sons. One of them died in childhood. 
Another is now a resident of Seattle. Carl, the third 
son, is still living with him and now has charge of the 
home farm. The father has long been one of the active 
members of the church at Granville. He has taken 
none but a good citizen's part in public affairs and 
never held or desired a political office of any kind, 
either by election or appointment. 



THOMAS SANDBM. 



The life of this enterprising and useful citizen of 
Scandia township, this county, has been the unevent- 
ful one of a quiet and unostentatious farmer, and he 
has sought no place in the limelight of public esteem 
or prominence among men. He has, nevertheless, ex- 
hibited the qualities of sturdy and sterling manhood 
and the public-spirit and progressiveness of wide- 
awake, initiative and productive American citizenship 
of a serviceable character. 

Mr. Sandem is a native of Norway, where he was 
born February 21, 1863, and where he lived until he 
reached the age of twenty years. In 1883 he emi- 
grated to the United States and located in Minnesota. 
During the first year of his residence here he worked 



at whatever he could find to do in this state and 
Canada, and after that confined his operations to 
Minnesota, but continued to work for other men until 
1887. In that year he took up a homestead of 160 
acres on Section 26, Scandia township, on which he 
settled in 1889, and on which he has since resided. 

To make a tract of wild land over into a productive 
and profitable farm, and to build a comfortable and 
attractive home in a new locality on the frontier, is a 
work of magnitude and requires constant and well- 
directed industry, along with the endurance of much 
privation, a considerable degree of hardship and some 
danger. Mr. Sandem has achieved this great work 
because he had the qualities needed for its accomplish- 



354 



COMPENDIUxM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



ment, and he is uow enjoyiug the fruits of his long 
j'ears of toil and endurance in a comfortable home of 
280 acres of good land enriched with buildings suited 
to his needs erected by himself. He has also given 
good service to his fellow citizens and the general 
public around him as township treasurer and treas- 
urer of School District No. 211. 

On April 12, 1893, in the city of Crookston, Mr. 



Sandem was united in marriage with Miss Selma M. 
Johnson, who is a native of Sweden and came to this 
fountry in May, 1892. Five children have blessed 
tlieir domestic shrine and brightened their home. 
They are Marie, Thorine, Esther, Soffus and Eveline, 
all of whom are still members of the parental family 
circle. 



ED SALVERSON. 



Ed Salversou, for many years a successful farmer 
of By gland township, was born in Norway, January 2, 
1842, and died at his home in Polk county, Febniary 
15, 1912. When Ed Salverson died he was the owner 
of 104 acres of land. He was brought to the United 
States by his parents when four years of age and was 
reared in Wisconsin and lived until 1890 in Waupaca 
county in that state. He owned also 160 acres at 
Waupaca and a big building. His life was devoted to 
farming interests and the years of industry attended 
by marked business ability brought the noteworthy 
success attested to in the large and prosperous estate 
which he built up. For twenty-five years his activities 
were confined to Polk county and he was one of the 
leading farmers of Bygland township where he owned 
and operated two farms. The home farm is a four 
hundred and eighty acre tract in sections one and 
twelve, located on the south bank of the Red Lake 
river, six miles west of Fisher and the other farm lies 
but one mile distant and comprises two hundred acres. 
Mr. Salverson was three times married. Two children 
were born to the first union, who are both dead, the 
son, Oscar Salverson having died in 1911, in Washing- 



ton, and Thea Caroline, who was married to Elias 
Erickson and died one year after. His second mar- 
riage was contracted after coming to Polk county, with 
Seger Krostue, a sister of Gunder Krostue and a son, 
Sherman, survived the death of the mother. On 
March 15, 1896, Mr. Salverson was married to Berget 
Stallemo and five children were born to them, Annie, 
Gertie, Julia, Josephine and Norman. They also took 
in their home, in her infancy, a little girl, Alice, who 
is now four years of age. Since the death of Mr. Sal- 
verson, the direction of the estate has been most 
capably assumed by his wife who is ably forwarding 
the prosperous interests. She was born in Norwa.y, 
the daughter of Nels Stallemo and was brought at an 
early age to Wisconsin where the family remained 
until 1879 when Nels Stallemo removed to Polk county 
and took a homestead, five miles west of Fisher, in 
Bygland township. Both he and his wife spent the 
last years of their life in the Salverson home, where 
he died in September, 1912. Her deatli occurred one 
year later. Their son, John Stallemo, is a farmer in 
Polk county, operating the 160 acre farm in Bygland 
township, for his sister, Mi-s. Salvei-son. 



OLE G. OLSON. 



Ole G. Olson, a pioneer of Polk county and prom- 
inent farmer of Huntsville township, was born in 
Norway and died at Grand Forks, February 26, 1909. 
His sons, Gustav Olson and Andrew Olson have oper- 
ated the Olson homestead for a number of years and 



have extensive farming interests in Polk county. Ole 
G. Olson was eighteen years of age when he accom- 
panied his parents to the United States. This was in 
the early forties, during the first movement of emigra- 
tion from Numdalh, Norway. Wisconsin was the 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



355 



destination of the family but tlieir funds giving out 
at Rochester, N. Y., they were compelled to i-emain 
there a year before completing their journey. From 
Milwaukee, they traveled with ox teams to Rock 
county, Wisconsin, where they located and were 
among the first Norwegian settlers in tliat country. 
In 1852, Ole Olson heard the call of the west and 
sailing around Cape Horn, joined the prospectors in 
California. Here he remained for six years and then 
returned to Wisconsin, having saved sufficient capital 
from his Californian sojourn to finance a mercantile 
enterprise. For a few years he engaged in business 
at Edgerton, Wisconsin, and then removed his in- 
terests to Deeorah, Iowa, where after several years, 
in 1865, he sold his store and invested his capital 
in a woolen mill, of which he was one of the organizers. 
This venture proved a failure but during the j^ears of 
its operations he visited the Red River valley several 
times, selling the products of the mill and in 1878, 
when the end of the milling enterprise left him prac- 
tically penniless, he decided to secure land in that 
region and rebuild his fortunes, and took a homestead 
claim and a tree claim in Sullivan township, three 
miles east of East Grand Forks. With a few hundred 
dollars and a team of horses, he entered upon his farm- 
ing activities in the frontier country, working his way 
to success and prosperous accomplishment during the 
fourteen years of his farming operations. His first 
buildings were a small shanty for a home and a sod 
stable which he was soon able to replace with good 
modern buildings. The tree claim, he turned over to 
his son Gustav Olson, who filed upon it, and secured 
the title. In 1892, Ole Olson retired from the farm, 
renting his property to his sons and took up his resi- 
dence in Grand Forks where he opened a feed store 
and continued active in the business circles of that 



city for several years. His death came at the end of* 
a long and useful career, marked by successful busi- 
ness attainment and worthy service as a pioneer citi- 
zen. He is survived by his wife and three children, 
Gustav, Andrew and Ellen, who married G. L. Holton, 
a retired farmer, living at Grand Forks. Mr. Olson 
was married in 1861, at Deeorah, Iowa, to Betsy 
Amundson, who like her husband was a native of Nor- 
way, coming to the United States in early childhood. 
She was reared in Dane county, Wisconsin, and since 
the death of her husband has made her home with her 
daughter. Gustav Olson and Andrew Olson have suc- 
ceeded to their father's farming interests and since 
assuming management of the estate in 1892, have 
steadily added to the property and now own eight 
hundred acres of Polk county land, which includes 
four farms, all of which are devoted to their extensive 
operations as dairy farmers. Although they harvest 
large crops of grain their principal interest has been 
given to dairying and stock farming, in which they 
have been eminently successful and they operate a 
milk route in Grand Forks. Their farm is stocked 
with blooded stock, cattle and horses, among the latter 
being many fine specimens of Percherons. The Olson 
brothers are both that type of citizen whose earnest 
co-operation is freely given to the broader interests of 
the community and whose ability is devoted not only 
to the advancement of their private interests but for 
the development of the commonwealth. They have 
each served as a school director and actively promoted 
good roads and drainage projects. Andrew Olson was 
married to Bertha Olson of Postville, Iowa, and they 
have four children, Oscar, who is a student in the 
North Dakota Agricultural college at Fargo ; Anna, 
Theodore and Bertina. 



CHARLES J. BYE. 



Endowed by nature with a keen insight into the 
purposes and motives of men, which has been intensi- 
fied by extensive contact with his fellows, and possess- 



ing clearness and quickness of vision in seeing and 
alertness in seizing opportunities and using them for 
his advancement, Charles J. Bye, one of the leading 



356 



COxMPENDlUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



and successful mercbauts of Niclsville, this county, is 
justly regarded as an excellent business man, and bis 
abiding and serviceable interest in the welfare and 
progress of bis community has given bim a high rank 
in the confidence and esteem of the people around him 
as ail enterprising, far-seeing and productively useful 
citizen. 

Mr. Bye is a native Minnesotan and devoted to the 
enduring good of the state. He was born in Houston 
county, March 28, 1867. In 1871, bis parents, John 
0. and Matbea (Jacobson) Bye, natives of Norway, 
moved to Cass county. North Dakota, and there tbeir 
son Charles remained until the fall of 1884. For five 
years he was assistant in the oiSce of the county 
trea-surer of Cass county. North Dakota, and during 
that same period of five years and until 1891 be was 
manager of a musical organization at Fargo, North 
Dakota. 

In 1891 Jlr. Bye again became a resident of Minne- 
sota, locating at Comstock, Clay county, where he was 
employed as a bookkeeper for about four years. In 



the fall of 189-1 be moved to Niclsville, this county, 
and started the mercantile business in which be is still 
engaged. He carries a general stock of merchandise 
and conducts his business with enterprise and breadth 
of view, studying the needs of his community and 
taking every necessary step to provide for them com- 
pletely in every particular. 

Since taking up bis residence in Polk county, Mr. 
Bye has been active and stimulating in connection 
with every project for the good of the community in 
which he has lived and zealous and discriminating in 
promoting all that be has considered wise and worthy. 
He was appointed postmaster of Nielsville in May, 
1897, and he has held the office continuously since 
that time. His services in it have been very acceptable 
to the patrons of the office and there has been no dis- 
position to disturb him in tlie occupancy of it. 

In January, 1895, Mr. Bye was united in marriage 
with Miss Gertie Kittleson, who was born in Fillmore 
county, Minnesota. 



HENRY G. MITCHELL. 



Henry G. Mitcbell, a prominent farmer of Wood- 
side township, is one of the pioneer citizens of Polk 
county. He is a native of New England, born in 1845 
and as a youth, saw much valiant service in defense 
of the Union. He enlisted in the Second Connecticut, 
Heavy Artillery and participated in the campaign of 
the army of the Potomac. In the engagement of Cold 
Harbor be was wounded by a minnie ball and was 
forced to spend several inactive montbs and returned 
to his regiment, where he was detailed to special duty 
and continued to give honorable sei-vice to the close of 
the war. Upon his return to the occupations of peace, 
in 1865, he turned his attention to the opportunities 
presented in the increasing activities of the northwest 
and for several year.s resided in St. Paul, working at 
his trade of carpentering and in other employment 
and upon the completion of the Great Northern road 
into Polk county in 1878, came to Crookston, where he 



continued in the carpenter work. In 1881 he took a 
preemption claim on section eleven, of Woodside town- 
ship, five miles southeast of the present village of 
Mentor, and this has continued to be his home. The 
land was covered with large timber which he sold as 
eordwood at Mentor. During the first years the work 
of clearing advanced slowly as most of bis attention 
was devoted to building work, he being engaged in the 
erection of the elevators for the Red River Valley 
Grain Company and in construction contracts in 
Crookston. In 1893 he retired from bis trade and has 
since devoted his efforts to his agi-icultural interests 
and cleared some sixty acres for cultivation and de- 
veloped a prosperous farm. Mr. ]\Iitchell is now en- 
gaged in the remodeling and improving of his home 
which occupies a most sightly and pleasant location, 
but a short distance from Maple Lake, a popular re- 
sort lake, and has a delightful view overlooking a 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



357 



smaller body of water. Mr. Mitchell has given active 
cooperation in all matters of public moment ; has given 
able service in official capacity as township super- 
visor and clerk and has been prominent in the busi- 
ness progress of the farming community as organizer 
and president of the Mentor Co-operative Creamery 
Association, which was organized in 1914 and has 
some eighty shareholders. He is also a member and a 
director in the coopei-ative store. He was married in 
1874, in Rush City, Minnesota, to Melvinia Hicker- 
son, who is a native of Wisconsin and removed in her 



early childhood to Chisago county, Minnesota. They 
have a family of eight children, Guy, living on a home- 
stead at Dora Lake, Itasca county, Minnesota ; Ruf us, 
a farmer near Big Forks, Minnesota; Laura, the wife 
of A. G. Cayler, of Ci-ookston ; Ida, who married 
Walter F. McLaughlin of Mentor; Roy, on the home 
farm; Etta, a teacher in the Polk county schools; 
Grace, also a teacher in the local schools and Ruth. 
Roy Mitchell is the present township clerk, being his 
father's successor after the twenty years of able serv- 
ice by the latter. 



ALEXANDER G. SPOKELY. 



A brief account of the history of the Spokely family 
will be found in a sketch of the parents of this enter- 
prising, progressive and successful farmer of Hixb- 
bard township, Polk county. They are Gunleik and 
Gunvor (Hagen) Spokely, also residents of Hubbard 
township, whei'e they settled in 1871, among the 
pioneers of the township. Their son Alexander was 
born on the parental homestead in that township 
August 30, 1879, and remained at home assisting his 
father on the fann until he reached the age of twenty- 
one. He then joined his brother Adolph in keeping 
a saloon at Climax, with which he was connected about 
five years. 

Farming presented more attractions to Mr. Spokely 
as an occupation for life than merchandising of any 
kind, and at the end of the period mentioned above 
he returned to it. In the fall of 1910 he took up his 
residence on the tract of 160 acres which he now owns 
and occupies in Section 28. Hubbard township, on 



which he has good buildings and other improvements, 
making it one of the comfortable and attractive homes 
in the township, and which he has brought to a high 
state of productiveness by his industry and intelli- 
gence as a farmer. He is wide-awake and progres- 
sive, and makes his attributes in these respects tell to 
his advantage in conducting his business. He is also 
an active participant in local public affairs, aiding in 
promoting the welfare of his township by his public 
spirit and breadth of view. 

On October 30, 1900, Mr. Spokely was married in 
North Dakota to Miss Nellie Myrland, a native of 
that state. They have three children, their daughter 
Grace B. and their sons Glenn E. and Lowell D. A. 
The parents are held in high esteem for their sturdy 
and sterling citizenship and the helpful interest they 
take in everything designed to promote the welfare of 
the township. 



AVLE P. BRANDVOLD. 



Avle P. Brandvold, a farmer of Knute township, is 
a native of Minnesota, born in Goodhue county, Jan- 
uary 17, 1869. A cousin of Mr. Brandvold was one of 
the pioneers of eastern Polk county and in his honor 
the family name was conferred upon one of the towii- 
ships in the Thirteen Towns. The parents of Avle P. 



Brandvold came to Minnesota prior to the Civil war 
and located in Goodhue county. The father was a 
native of Nonvay and worked in the lumber woods in 
Wisconsin for some years after coming to America. 
He became a prominent farmer in Goodhue county, 
where he owned a half section of land and also owned 






358 



COMPENDIUM OP HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



a quarter sectiou iu I'olk county, south of Mcintosh. 
Avle Brandvold was reared on his father's home- 
stead and on reaching manhood became the owner of 
a Goodhue county farm wliich lie operated unlil 
1899 when he traded his property for his present farm 
in section twenty of Knut« township, which had bcfu 
owned by Martin I. Haugen, who lived near Fertile. 
The tract was partially improved, with forty acres of 
cleared land and a log barn and Mr. Brandvold 
erected the hoiise which is the present home. From 
this start and with a few head of stock he has ad- 
vanced to his present extensive agricultural interests. 
Beside the home quarter, he now owns one hundred 
and sixty acres of improved land one mile north and 



another quarter section in Rosscau county. Mr. 
Brandvold has developed one of the model estates of 
this section and applies the most efficient and progres- 
sive methods in his farming enterprises, having 
equipped his barn with improved facilities for the 
care of stock. He has put one hundi'ed acres of the 
home fann imder cultivation and is also interested in 
stock farming, raising Short Horn cattle. He was 
married in 1894; to Gurine Haugen, a sister of Martin 
Haugen, of whom previous mention has been made. 
Of the family born to this union, eight children are 
now living, Peter, Agnes, Mabel, Ilelmer, Carl, Ida, 
Gladys and Arley. Mr. Brandvold and his family are 
members of the United Lutheran church at Rodness. 



HANS H. MELBO. 



Hans H. i\Iclbo, of Gully, president of Ihe ilelbo 
Mercantile company and postmaster of that place, was 
born in Norway, October 2, 1872, and came to the 
United States as a lad of sixteen, locating at Wilmar. 
Minnesota, where he was employed as a farm laborur. 
After two years there, he removed to Lyon county, 
working on the farms in that county until 1896, when 
he went to the Red Lake reservation, which had just 
been opened for settlement, and took a claim in sec- 
tion 11 of Eden township, near the present site of 
Gully and about sixteen miles northeast of Fosstou. 
lie was one of the first settlers of this region and has 
continued to be notably identified, as an influenlial 
and public spirited citizen and progressive business 
man, with its growth and development. He embarked 
upon his farming enterprise with a capital of siiTOO, 
which he had thriftily accumulated, and this enabled 
him to advance the laborious work of clearing the 
land for profitable operation, and for some years he 
spent several months of each year working near Ben- 
son, Minnesota. His first home on this farm was a 
pioneer log cabin built of timber cut from the land, 
and he later erected a larger log house. He devoted 
his attention to the management of this farm for 
seven years, putting fifty acres under cultivation. In 



1903 he entered upon his successful career in the com- 
mercial field, and in partnership with Nels M. Bol- 
stad, opened a general store at Gully, about four years 
before the Soo railroad was built to that place. Mi". 
Bolstad, as a member of the firm of Kronschnabel & 
Bolstad, had operated the first store established at 
Gully, in a building which stood on the site now occu- 
pied by the Gully flour mills, which were erected in 
1899. The firm of Bolstad & Melbo succeeded the first 
company, which had disposed of the old stock upon 
dissolving. Two years later, after the death of his 
partner, Mr. Melbo became the sole owner of the 
business, and when the railroad reached the town h(.' 
organized the Melbo IMercantile company, one of the 
most prosperous and popular stores in this section. 
This was the third store to open in the new village, 
the others being operated by Hans Pladsen and Gust 
Watnebiyn. The companj' was incorporated in De- 
cember, 1910, with a capital of $10,000. Mr. Melbo is 
the president, with Oscar Thor, secretary and treas- 
urer, and John F. Thoreen, of Stillwater, vice presi- 
dent. A fine commodious building, constructed to 
give front-age on two streets, was erected at the cost 
of $6,000, and is owned by the company. Its rapidly 
growing trade justified the addition of a department 




HANS H. MELBO 



COMPENDIUM OP HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



359 



for farm machinery which was iustalled, with sales- 
room in the rear of the huilding. The enterprise has 
met with steadily increasing prosperity and now 
transacts an annual business of about thirty-five thou- 
sand dollars. Mr. Melbo is a member of the Repub- 
lican party and has ever given capable service to the 
public interests in official capacity. He was super- 
visor and also clerk of Eden township for several 
years and in 1900 was the census enumerator for that 
townsliip and Queen township ; the population of the 
two, totaling 1,212 in that year. In 1907 he was 
appointed postmaster at Gully and has continued 



to serve in that position. The office now supports one 
rural route and its transactions command a quarterly 
salary of $275. JMr. Melbo is a member of the Modern 
Woodmen lodge and was active in its organization. 
He enjoyed frequent hunting trips in the days when 
game was abundant in this section, and recalls the 
hunting and killing of deer in the vicinity of the 
present site of Gully. His marriage to Hilda Berg- 
dahe, of Fosston, occurred September 4, 1907, and 
they have three childi'en, Ervin, Alplia and Rolf. IMr. 
Melbo and his family are members of the Lutheran 
church at Gully. 



MICHAEL DRISCOLL. 



Although he is one of the largest landholders in 
Polk county, and one of its most successful and pros- 
perous residents, Michael DriscoU, who lives on the 
East half of Section 28, Sullivan township, five and 
one-half miles east of East Grand Porks, has accunui- 
lated all his property by his own industry, thrift and 
good management, which qualities he has also employed 
in the service of his township greatly to its advantage. 
He was born in County Lanark, province of Ontario, 
Canada, June 26, 1856, and came to Polk county, Min- 
nesota, in company with his brother John in 1878. 

When they arrived in this county each of the two 
brothers took up a homestead, Michael getting the 
Northeast quarter and John the Northwest quarter of 
Section 28, in what is now Sullivan township. Ed- 
ward Sullivan took up the Southeast quarter of this 
section and Michael bought it of him after he proved 
up on it, paying him $20 an acre for it. Mr. Sullivan 
had also taken up the Southwest quarter of the same 
section, and later John bought this of him. The Dris- 
coU brothers then had a half-section apiece. When 
they reached this county they had about $50 each in 
money, which they had saved from their earnings 
while working in the lumber woods. 

Mr. Sullivan had located here the fall before, and 
when the Driscolls left home they intended to locate 
either in the Red river valley or the valley of Forest 



river in North Dakota, where they also had a friend. 
When they inspected the North Dakota region they 
found that only two filings had been made in it, and 
they concluded to locate in Polk county, Minnesota. 
In 1879 John returned to his old Ontario home and 
the next spring he brought the other members of 
the family to Minnesota. Each of the boys had broken 
up twenty acres of his land, giving their work for 
the use of oxen to do it with, and together they liMd 
built a claim shanty in the spring of 1878. 

In the winter Michael cut cord wood on the Dakota 
side of the Red river at 75 cents a cord, paying $4.50 
a week for board, and he and a man he had with him 
each cleared $150 on the winter's work. Michael had 
bought a yoke of oxen and the next spring he bought 
another yoke. He then i-emained with his father and 
brothers, and worked for his father for ten years. His 
brother John married in 1882, but Michael remained 
single until February 14, 1887, when be was married 
to Miss Margaret O'Neill, the daughter of a neighbor 
of the family and eighteen years old at the time of 
her marriage. 

In 1888 he built part of his present dwelling and 
took up his residence in it. By that time he had his 
land all broken up, and in 1891 he set out trees for a 
windbreak. He has since bought the Northeast 
quarter of Section 16, the Northeast quarter of Sec- 



360 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



tion 22, the Southwest (luarter of Section 15 aud 
ciglity acres of the Northwest quarter of Section 15, 
enlarging his holdings here to 880 acres, and in addi- 
tion he owns some timber land on the Red river, 
and he and his brother John together own 800 acres 
in Manitoba, none of which has yet been invaded by 
the plOAV. Recently he has given ICO acres in Seel ion 
15 to his son, John James Driseoll. 

Mr. Driseoll operates his farm with the aid of his 
sons. He raises corn for feed for his live stock and 
other grain for market. In 1915 he produced 20,000 
bushels, using twenty horses in the work of cultivat- 
ing his land. He also keeps fifty head of cattle and 
milks fifteen or sixteen cows. In addition he has bred 
Pereheron horses of a high grade, his exhibits in this 
line taking first honors at the North Dakota state 
fair. 



From the beginning of his residence in this county 
Mr. Driseoll has been active and serviceable in local 
public affairs. He helped to organize his township, 
the meeting for the purpose being held at the resi- 
dence of Timothy Sullivan, and the township being 
named in honor of that gentleman, who is now living 
in East Grand Forks retired from active pursuits. 
jMr. Driseoll is now and for twenty years has been 
chairman of the township board, and he was a member 
of it before his chairmanship began. He has also long 
been a member of the school board. His children 
number ten, and all of them except one of his two 
daughters are still living at home. The children are 
John James, Cecilia, Michael, Francis, Josephine, 
Ernest, Leslie, Lawrence, Earl and Clarence. Cecilia 
is the wife of Thomas Hanrehan, a farmer in Montana. 



LOUIS FONTAINE. 



One of the most forceful and fruitful influences for 
good in the early history of Polk county, particularly 
in the direction of peopling the wilderness and re- 
deeming it to usefulness and the service of mankind, 
was embodied in the work of the late Louis Fontaine, 
for a long time the inspiring and controlling spirit of 
the most extensive and active mercantile business in 
this part of the state of Minnesota. His efforts were 
devoted, however, not to Polk county alone, but a 
large part of the whole Red River Valley. As early 
as 1872 he passed through a part of this valley, and he 
repeated his visit to and study of it several times 
during the few years following. His familiarity with 
the valley enabled him to speak and write with 
authority on its possibilities, which he very diligently 
did, and in 1878 he came to Crookston to reside, and 
within the same year his efforts, in connection with 
thase of Pierre Bottineau, the noted scout and guide, 
who moved here from Minneapolis, and Isaiah Gervais, 
who came from near St. Paul, were instrumental in 
directing large numbers of French-Canadians to this 
section. What followed is histoiy, and the results of 
the foresight and enterprise of these resolute pioneers 



are seen in the present state of development aud 
progressiveness of the region. 

Mr. Fontaine was born at St. Hyacinthe, in the 
province of Quebec, Canada, January 11, 1840. He 
was a son of Louis and Justine (Martel) Fontaine, 
who were devoted to his welfare. But his adventurous 
disposition led him to quit the shelter of their roof 
and fireside at the age of fourteen and go forth to 
hew out his own career in the world. He came to 
Minnesota and found employment on a farm near St. 
Paul until 1858. He then moved to McLeod county, 
which was just opening to settlement, took up a claim 
and began farming on his own account, continuing to 
be so engaged until the Civil war began. 

In November, 1861, ^Ir. Fontaine enlisted for the 
defense of the Union in Company E, Fourth Minne- 
sota Infantry. This regiment helped to bear the brunt 
of the mighty sectional strife, and Mr. Fontaine was 
with it in all its engagements. He took part in the 
battles of luka, Corinth, Fort Pemberton. Champion 
Hill, Jackson, Duval's Bluff and others, and the long 
siege of Vicksburg. He was also in the engagements 
at Altoona and Missionary Ridge, and with Sherman 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



361 



iu the historic "Marcli to the Sea"; aud when the 
momentous conflict was ended he participated in the 
grand review of the Federal armies iu Washington, 
D. C, being discharged from military service in July, 
1865. 

Immediately after his discharge from the army Mr. 
Fontaine returned to Minnesota. He arrived at St. 
Paul at 9 o'clock one morning, purchased a restaurant, 
saloon and fixtures before noon, aud began business 
in his new place before nightfall. At the end of 
three years, during which his business was very prof- 
itable, he sold out and engaged in general merchandis- 
ing, in which he was occupied for ten years in St. 
Paul. In the meantime he took up a soldier's home- 
stead near Mapleton, North Dakota, which he sold a 
year later. His visits to his homestead brought him 
to Crookston, whose location and seeming possibilities 
impressed him so favorably that he determined to 
locate here. 

In the summer of 1878, in association with William 
Anglim, he purchased the stock and business of W. 
D. Bailey, a general merchant at Crookston, hurried 
back to St. Paul to close his business there, and in 
September returned to Crookston to remain. Timber 
then covered the site of the town, there was not a 
street opened, and there were very few improvements 
of any kind. The settlement, however, contained two 
stores in addition to that of Messrs. Fontaine & 
Anglim, but all three were in primitive log buildings. 
At the end of two years these gentlemen erected a 
brick building, in which they conducted their grocery 
department when later they put up two additional 



rooms, which gave them three fronts. They carried 
a stock of $75,000 and employed ten clerks after their 
business reached its development, and had the most 
extensive as well as the most profitable trade in this 
whole section of the Northwest. In 1882 they put in 
a large stock of farm machinery, but they were so 
busily occupied with their numerous other lines of 
trade that they soon abandoned this one. Mr. Fon- 
taine, however, had an interest in a general store at 
Argyle, in Marshall county, which also did a very ex- 
tensive business. 

Mr. Fontaine held a high place in the regard of the 
people of this part of the state and wherever else he 
was known. He was a man of fine business capacity, 
great force of character and sterling integrity. He 
was also public-spirited and progressive to the last de- 
gree, and was universally esteemed as one of the truly 
representative men of Polk county. He was a Cath- 
olic in religious faith and a devout and serviceable 
member of his church. On September, 19, 1866, he 
was united in marriage with Miss Rosie Trombley, 
a native of Kankakee, Illinois, and the daughter of 
Mitchelle Trombley. They became the parents of nine 
children : Lizzie, Cora, Albert, George, Ermine, Victor, 
Albert, Blanche and Alma, six of whom are living. 

The useful and stimulating life herein briefly 
chronicled ended in St. Paul, November 7, 1914. The 
mother of the household is still living and now has her 
home in St. Paul, where, although she lives retired 
aud in an unostentatious way, she is well known in 
many parts of the city and most highly respected by 
all classes of the people. 



H. C. H. WIK. 



H. C. H. Wik, a farmer of Woodside township, has 

been a resident of the county since 1881 and has been 

actively associated with the agricultural interests of 

the community. He is a native of Norway, born 

August 8, 1845, and came to this country immediately 

after his marriage to Caroline Olson in 1871 and after 

spending a year with a brother who was living in St. 
23 



Paul, then located in Dakota county, Minnesota, where 
he engaged in the development of a small farm. In 
1881 he came to Polk county and took a homestead 
claim in section seven of Woodside township on the 
.shore of Maple lake, about six miles southwest of 
Mentor. This land he has developed into his present 
productive farm and has cleared and cultivated fifty 



362 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



acres of the tract, which was covered with timber. He 
gives his attention fo both grain and dairy farming. 
He has always taken an active interest in the affairs 
of his adopted countrj' and has capably discharged the 
duties of good citizenship. In local activities and 
progress, he has been influential as assessor and mem- 
ber of the township board, serving as supervisor for 
ten years. In political opinion and allegiance he is 
independent. He is allied with the business intei-ests 
of the community as a stockholder in the cooperative 
creamery and cooperative store at Mentor. Mr. Wik 
and his wife have reared a family of five children, 



Hans Oscar, who now lives in Bottineau coimty, North 
Dakota; Marj^ the wife of D. E. Clark, of the same 
state; Bertina, who married Christ Fulstaid and whose 
death occurred at Melvin, Minnesota, in 1905 ; Carrie 
A., a teacher, who after seven years employment in 
Polk county schools, is now teaching in Bottineau 
county, North Dakota, and Olof, in charge of the 
home farm and who was married to Sophia Iverton. 
Mr. Wik was one of the organizers of the United 
Lutheran church at Maple lake and has continued to- 
be a faithful supporter of its interests. 



KNUTE KNUDSON. 



Knute Knudson, a well known pioneer of western 
Polk county and prominent farmer of Bygland town- 
ship, came to tliis county in 1873 from Wisconsin. 
He was born in Norway, in November, 18-17, and 
was but twelve years of age when his parents brougiit 
their family to the United States and settled in 
Wapaca county, Wisconsin, where Knute Knud.son be- 
came familiar with the labor and vicissitudes of 
pioneer life, assisting in the work of clearing the 
timber land for cultivation and working in the lumber 
woods. During his first winter in Minnesota, he 
hauled logs to the Red river for the Hudson Bay com- 
pany and in the spring took his homestead in what 
became section four of Bygland township and was 
joined in his new location by Aspen Olson, his brother- 
in-law and Osman Isaacson, whose sister. Bertha Isaac- 
son, later became his wife. He assisted Mr. Olson to 
erect a home and later replaced the loss of his own 
shack, which had been destroyed by a prairie fire, 
with a more substantial structure, which is now in- 
eluded in his present home. With thrifty manage- 
ment he had saved several hundred dollars and he 
continued his lumber work along the river, and this 
enabled him to purchase a yoke of oxen and imme- 
diately engage in the breaking of his land. He en- 
dured discouragements and misfortunes and suffered 
the loss of one of his first crops through the devasta- 



tions of grasshoppers. Some years later he bought 
two hundred acres of railroad land and continued 
adding to his property until it comprised an estate of 
four hundred and fortj' acres. His principal agricul- 
tural interest has been the raising of grain, to which 
lie devotes a quarter section of his land and he has 
an annual crop of several thousand bushels. He also 
keeps a herd of Short Horn and Polled Angus cattle 
and dairy cows but has never engaged in stock farm- 
ing. As one of the first settlers and a man of progres- 
sive interests, he has ever been associated with public 
affairs and the general advancement of the com- 
munity. He was present at the first election held 
when the township received its name from those 
present who were natives of Bygland, Norway. He 
was elected the first township treasurer and has given 
almost continuous service since on the township board, 
in various capacities. His interests were always ac- 
tive in church and school affairs and he was one of the 
organizers of the Bygland Lutheran church. He is a 
member of the Republican party but maintains the 
independence of his political judgment from the 
strictures of partisan views. His marriage to Bertha 
Isaacson, whom he had known in his Wisconsin home, 
occurred in 1876. Ten children were born to this 
union, of whom two are dead, Isaac, whose death came 
in his eighteenth j-ear and Neal, who died on his 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



363 



Canadian homestead. Margaret is the wife of Ole 
Torkelson, of Red Lake county ; Martin is now living 
on the western coast; Toney married Lars T. Larson 
and lives in Canada; Birget is the wife of Osmau 
Sannes, of Grand Forks and Osman Salve and Ole re- 
main with their parents. Theodore Knudson, the 
eldest son of the family took a homestead in Pen- 



nington county, near Thief River Falls and after ac- 
quiring the title to his land, sold and returned to 
Polk county, purchasing a portion of his father's 
homestead and has since combined the operation of 
his farming interests with those of his father. He is a 
member of the Socialist party. 



BERNT L. BJUGSTAD. 



Reared to manhood and strength in his native laud 
of Norway and inheriting the hardiness and resolute 
spirit of his Norwegian ancestry, Bernt L. Bjugstad, 
one of the progressive and wide-awake farmers of 
King township, this county, has succeeded in winning 
his way to a comfortable prosperity in the New World, 
as all who knew him in youth and observed his in- 
dustry, determination and perseverance, expected him 
to do, wherever he might be. He was born December 
14, 1860, and emigrated to the United States in 1880, 
landing at Boston and from there coming at once to 
Minnesota and locating in Ottertail county, where he 
remained about two years. 

The next year was passed by Mr. Bjugstad near 
Fargo, North Dakota, on the Buffalo river, and in 
1883 he came to Polk county and took up 160 acres 
of land in section 11, King township. On this tract 
he has since lived, and by his industry and good 



management he has converted its wild expanse into 
a good farm and enriched it with good buildings, mak- 
ing it an attractive and valuable country home. He 
has also taken an earnest and helpful interest in the 
public affairs of his township and has given his dis- 
trict valuable and appreciated service as school 
director. 

On February 4, 1891, Mr. Bjugstad was married to 
Miss Anna G. Moy, who was born in Norway May 9, 
1872, and came to the United States with her parents 
in 1881. Her father was Guuder Moy, who lived in 
Polk county until 1894, then sold his farm and moved 
to Bemidji, where he passed the rest of his life. Mr. 
and Mrs. Bjugstad are members of St. John's 
Lutheran church. They have two children, Nettie 
and Gunda. The genuine worth of the parents has 
won them the lasting esteem of all who know them. 



FREDERICK BAATZ. 



The interesting subject of this brief review has been 
one of Polk county's most progressive and esteemed 
citizens. His industry and thrift, which are char- 
acteristic of the German people, and his persistent 
and devoted attention to his own affairs, have been 
potent factors in his success and have also won him 
the respect and good will of his whole township, 
which is largely populated by persons of a totally dis- 
tinct nationality. 

Mr. Baatz was born in the grand duchy of Luxem- 
burg, Germany, December 7, 1854, and came to the 



United States in 1871, joining ar uncle who lived in 
Wabasha county, Minnesota, with whom he remained 
until the spring of 1878. He then came to Polk 
county and took up the first homestead in what is now 
Russia township, which later he helped to organize. 
He came to this county to get a home, and he has not 
only had a good one for himself ever since but has 
helped very largely to make the region habitable for 
other persons. 

The land on which Mr. Baatz lives, and which he 
has made over into an excellent farm, is the Northwest 



364 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



quarter of Section 4, in Russia township, and is ten 
miles southeast of Crookston. When he settled on it 
there was no other resident for many miles south or 
east of him and there were but few north of him in 
the direction of Crookston. He now owns three 
quarter sections, 480 acres in all, one quarter in Sec- 
tion 5, Russia township, and one in Section 34, Fair- 
fax township, but all contiguous so that they make 
one farm. For one quarter he paid $800 and the rest 
of liis land he paid $26 an acre. When he located 
in Polk county he had only $200 with which to buy 
teams and get a start, but he has now a competence 
for life, all due to his own efforts. 

Live stock and grain are the staples of Mr. Baatz' 
productions. He keeps 30 to 60 head of cattle every 
year, mostly Holsteins, and milks 10 to 12 cows the 
year round, selling cream to the creameries. In 1915 
he raised 4,000 bushels of wheat and 2,000 bushels of 
oats and barley, and he has in the neighborhood of 
40 acres in com on his land every year. His farming 
operations are conducted on a large scale and with 
decided enterprise and energy, and they are very 
profitable on that account. 



It is easy to see that Mr. Baatz' own affairs are very 
compreliensive and exacting, but they have never kept 
him from taking an earnest and active part in the 
affairs of his township. He has been treasurer of the 
township board nine years and its chairman fifteen 
years, being a member of it almost from the organiza- 
tion of the township, and has served for thirty years 
on the local school board. In fact, he has scarcely 
been out of office a day since Russia township's cor- 
porate existence began, and his services in every offi- 
cial position liave been highly satisfactory to the resi- 
dents of the township. 

Mr. Baatz was married in Wabaslia county, Minne- 
sota, in 1882, to iliss Emma Schwirtz, a German by 
birth. They have had five childi-eu, all but one of 
whom are still living and at home with their parents. 
Their son Frank died when he was twenty years old. 
The living children are Rosa, Mary, Annie and John. 
The last named attended the State Agricultural School 
at Crookston for a special course of instruction. All 
the members of the family are Catholics and belong to 
the Cathedral parish in Crookston. 



HON. KNUTE S. AKER. 



Two things are plainly demonstrated in the public 
life and services of Hon. Knute S. Aker, a leading 
citizen of Hubbard township, this county, and a mem- 
ber of the Minnesota House of Representatives in 1911 
and 1912, and the highly approved incumbent of sev- 
eral other offices from time to time. These two facts 
are that he fully imderstands the needs of the people 
around him and is both wise and industrious in his 
efforts to provide for them. In every official position 
to which the people have elected him he has seemed 
to catch the exact drift of public sentiment as to the 
performance of his duties and to hit upon the most 
effective and satisfactory manner of discharging them 
so as to obtain the best results. 

Mr. Aker lives on Section 9, Hubbard township, and 
has been a resident of this county since June 12, 1878. 
He was born in Norway September 19, 1853, and 



when he was but seveu years old was brought to this 
country by his parents, Sondre and Ingebor Aker. On 
arriving in the L^nited States the parents located in 
Winneshiek county, Iowa, and there they lived until 
the spring of 1881, when the family moved to a home- 
stead in Golden township, Walsh county, North 
Dakota, which was taken up by the subject of this 
review. He l)uilt a dwelling for his parents and broke 
up forty acres of the land for them, and they passed 
the remainder of their days on the homestead, the 
motlier dying on it when she was seventy years old 
and the father when he was seventy-three. 

Knute S. Aker reached the age of nineteen and 
obtained his education in Winneshiek county, Iowa. 
He worked out at farm labor until he was about 
twenty-five, then came to Polk county, arriving on 
June 12, 1878, and bought 160 acres of railroad land, 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



365 



wliifli is still a part of his home farm. Wheu he 
made his first purchase he incurred an iudebteduess 
of $1,250. Now he owns about 1,200 acres of good 
land, all of which is paid for, well improved and prac- 
tically under cultivation. By his industry, thrift, wise 
business management and good judgment he has 
added about 1,100 acres to his original purchase and 
won for himself a substantial competence for life. 

Mr. Aker has also risen to a position of consequence 
and influence in connection with public affairs in his 
township and county, and at every step of his progress 
in this line of advancement has fully justified his 
title to the continued confidence and esteem of the 
people. He has been chairman of the local school 
board for twenty-two years, a justice of the peace for 
seventeen years and supervisor and assessor of Hub- 
bard township for five or six j'ears. In 1885 he took 
the state census in Hubbard township and he has also 
taken the government census three times. Through- 
out his residence in Polk county he has been very 
active in the service of his townsliip, neglecting no 
public interest and allowing none to go without his 
zealous support and assistance. He has long been one 
of the directors of Bethesda hospital in Crookston, and 
it has profited by his systematic attention to its affairs. 

In the fall of 1910 Mr. Aker was elected to the state 



House of Representatives. He served in the regular 
session of 1911 and the special session of 1912 with 
credit to himself and benefit to the state. He was a 
member of several important committees in the House 
and was constant in his attention to his legislative 
duties both in committee rooms and on the floor, giv- 
ing careful study to all bills introduced and keeping 
himself well posted in reference to every need of the 
state and every danger that threatened its welfare. 

Mr. Aker was married in Bygland township, Polk 
countj', on June 3, 1880, to Miss Ales Thompson, who 
was born in Howard comity, Iowa, of Norwegian par- 
entage. Nine children have been born of the union, 
seven of whom are living, the first and second in the 
order of birth having died in infancy. Those wlio are 
living are Ole, Bella, Sander, Gurie, Carl, Annie and 
Mabel. Bella is now the wife of John Tofsley ; Gurie 
is the wife of Ole Bramseth, and Annie is the wife of 
Harry Larson. Mr. and Mrs. Aker are very genial 
and companionable persons, with a cordial and help- 
ful interest in all their fellow beings. Their agreeable 
home is a center of bounteous and gracious hospitality 
and a popular resort for their friends, who are num- 
bered by the host, and who find it the seat of refined 
and illuminating social culture. 



CHRISTIAN C. QUERN. 



Christian C. Quern, an early settler of Esther town- 
ship and for many years a prominent farmer of Polk 
county, was born in Norway, April 20, 1838 and died 
at his home in Esther township, February 14, 1911. 
He came to the United States as a young man and 
located in Fillmore county, Minnesota, in 1861 and 
later lived for a time in Renville county, where he 
was married in 1866 to Olia Manrud, who was born 
and reared in Norway and had come to Minnesota 
some years previous to her marriage. In 1877 Mr. 
Quern removed to Polk county and took a homestead 
on the north west quarter of section fourteen of 
Esther township, being the first settler to locate north 



of the Marais river. With a small capital and a few 
head of stock, Mr. Quern entered upon his new enter- 
prise and with thrifty management built up one of 
the large and prosperous estates of this section. His 
first home was a primitive cabin which he soon re- 
placed with a log house and in 1888 erected the com- 
fortable modern house which was his home until his 
death. This home was built on the four hundred acre 
tract of railroad land, which he bought in section 
fifteen of Esther township. He also became the pos- 
sessor of the quarter section adjoining his homestead, 
for which he traded land in Renville county. His 
property later included a section in Higdem town- 



366 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



ship, six miles north of his home place. The greater 
part of this was railroad land which secured at six 
dollars an acre, and has been devoted to the raising 
of grain. Mr. Quern gave his entire attention to his 
farming operations and under his management the 
estate was brought to its present splendid condition. 
He confined his personal operations to the Esther 
township land and rented the section in Higdem towTi- 
ship. His death occurred in his seventy-ninth year at 
the close of a long and active career, marked by the 
constructive service of the pioneer farmer and progres- 
sive citizen. He is survived by his wife and five chil- 



dren, three of whom reside on the Quern estate, Carl, 
Olivia, whose husband, Gust Nelson, operates a part 
of the Higdem township farm, and Ole, who since the 
death of his father has capably assumed management 
of tiie home place, ilartin Quern entered the com- 
mercial world and is a merchant at Gunvick, Minne- 
sota. Carrie Quern married John Hofsteen and lives 
at Grand Forks, North Dakota. Ole Quern was mar- 
ried to Clara Bang, the daughter of a well known 
citizen of Higdem township and they have two chil- 
dren, Adea and Erma. 



DALECARLIA GRAIN AND STOCK FARM. 
S. E. ERICKSON, PROP. 



Owning and occupying one of the finest homes in 
the Red River valley, with native trees surrounding 
his house, which stands on the banks of the Marias 
river and overlooks a wide sweep of the country lying 
around it, and cultivating a large, well improved and 
productive farm in the most progressive way, and en- 
joying in a marked degree the esteem of all who know 
him, S. E. Erickson, of Dalecarlia Farm in Section 25, 
Esther township, seven miles north of East Grand 
Forks, has made great progress in his worldly estate 
since he came to Polk county on June 3, 1883, a pen- 
niless youth of nineteen years of age. 

Mr. Erickson was born in Sweden September 23, 
1864, and when he arrived in the United States came 
direct to this county, where his brother Andrew, now 
a resident of Roseau county, Minnesota, and his uncle, 
0. Metz Erickson, were then living. The uncle had 
come to Becker county, Minnesota, in 1868, and had 
acquired a homestead in that county. In 1878 he 
changed his residence to Polk county and bought the 
Northeast quarter of Section 25, in Esther township, 
which was then railroad land and is now a part of the 
farm of S. E. Erickson. The uncle paid about $7 an 
acre for this land. It is now worth $100 an acre. He 
passed his remaining years on the farm, dying on it in 
1902. He had a family of eight daughters. They are 



living in various places but none of them in this 
county. 

After his arrival in Polk county S. E. Erickson 
and his brother Andrew, who lived in this county 
about sixteen years, rented a farm for six years. S. E. 
also bought railroad land in Section 29, Northland 
township, two miles east of his present farm, which 
he improved and still owns. He at first rented a part 
of his home farm from his father-in-law. Erick Dick- 
son, who bought it in 1880 and took up his residence 
on it in 1891. 

]\Ir. Dickson was also a native of Sweden, born 
September 3, 1843, and came to the United States in 
1868, locating for a time at Elkhart, Indiana. He 
worked in the Calumet and Ilecla copper mines in 
Michigan for seventeen years. He was killed by a 
falling tree on his farm in 1904. He .served several 
years as township treasurer and otherwise took an 
active part in local public affairs. His wife died in 
St. Paul in 1869, leaving an infant daughter, Matilda, 
who was born at Elkhart, Indiana, the same year that 
her mother died in. She was reared by her grand- 
parents at Becker, Sherburne county, Minnesota, and 
in 1878 came with her grandfather, 0. Metz Erickson, 
to this county, where she remained until 1880, then 
joined her father at Calumet, Michigan. In 1890 she 




^ f^ 




JOHN A. IIKXUKICKS 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



367 



returned to this county, and on January 1, 1891, was 
married to S. E. Eriekson. They have no children of 
their own but they reared from the age of six an 
adopted daughter, Lottie May Eriekson, who is now 
the wife of Henry Lillisve, of Roseau county, Min- 
nesota. 

Mr. Eriekson 's farm now comprises 640 acres and 
is in a highly improved condition. In 1915 he erected 
a fine dwelling house on it, built according to plans 
furnished by an architect and constructed of stucco 
on a cement foundation. It has hot and cold water 
throughout and is lighted by electricity from a power 
plant in the basement. The house cost about $10,000. 
In digging a cistern Mr. Eriekson found, about twelve 



and a half feet below the surface of the earth, the 
bones of an animal unknown to him. He has given 
his attention mainly to raising wheat, oats and barley, 
and in 1915 he produced over 13,000 bushels. He has 
been chairman of the township board. And for eleven 
years has been township treasurer, having succeeded 
his father-in-law in that office. He and his wife belong 
to Bethesda Swedish Lutheran church near their 
home, and he is its treasurer and one of its trustees, 
while Mrs. Eriekson has been its Sunday school super- 
intendent, organist and choir leader for twenty-four 
years. The Sunday school has regularly thirty to 
forty scholars and is kept during six months of the 
year. 



JOHN ALBERT HENDRICKS. 



John Albert Hendricks, a prominent lawyer resid- 
ing at Fosston, is a native of Minnesota, born in Da- 
cotah county, December 14, 1865. His father, Henry 
Peterson, who was a resident of Polk county during 
the latter years of his life, was a native of Norway 
and was among the first of his countrymen to seek 
a new home in the United States, a worthy pioneer in 
the wilderness of the northwest. This was in 1850 ; 
a few years later he returned to Norway. In 1864 
he came to Dacotah county, Minnesota, where he lived 
for three years and then took a homestead claim in 
Renville county and made his home on this fann until 
1900, when he removed to Polk count}'. His death 
occurred here in 1907, in his seventy-sixth year. John 
A. Hendricks was reared on his father's homestead 
in Renville county and received his early education 
in the common schools, later attending business col- 
lege in Minneapolis and Minneapolis Academy, which 
is now called Minnesota College. He then spent sev- 
eral yeare teaching in his home county, in the public 
schools and also in the parochial school which is main- 
tained by the Augustana Synod. But his ambitions 
were centered upon a professional career and in 1901 
he entered the law school of the State University. 
Upon his graduation in 1903 he was admitted to the 



bar and immediately established himself in Renville 
county, where he remained for about a year and a half. 
On February 14, 1895, he came to Fosston, where 
for twenty years he has engaged in the general prac- 
tice of law with eminent success, becoming widely 
known through his capable and masterly handling of 
important land controversies. During the early years 
of his career the courts were largely concerned with 
title contests and land cases and it was in such liti- 
gation that he scored several notable and significant 
victories. One of these involved the reversal of a 
supreme court decision ; this was the case of Theodore 
Torgerson vs. the Crookston Lumber company, relat- 
ing to the overflow of Clearwater river. The Crooks- 
ton Lumber company was then the largest lumber 
corporation in Minnesota and arrayed against Mr. 
Hendricks, in defense of its interests, the best legal 
talent of the state. But he carried his cause to a 
favorable decision through the nine days' trial in 
the circuit court and a long and hard-fought contest 
which covered three years. This decision, which 
establishes the rule that the defendant must disclose 
the facts and the plaintiff is not required to prove the 
facts in each case, is recorded in volume 144 of North- 
western Reports, and in Minnesota Reports, and has 



:{68 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



been regarded with great favor in subsequent judicial 
proceedings in its application to many and various 
conditions. Another case which concerned one of the 
important (juostious of the time, in which Mr. Hen- 
dricks acquired further fame, was in reference to the 
land allotted to Indians of mixed blood, the courts 
ratifying his contention that the proceeds of a sale 
of such land differed from the proceeds of a sale of 
homestead land and was subject to attachment and 
garnishment. Mr. Hendricks takes an active and 
public-spirited interest in the affairs of the commun- 
ity in which he lives and as a member of the Repub- 
lican party has given much efificient service in political 
campaigns and state conventions. He has been a 
candidate for the nomination for state's attorney and 



for a numhcr of years has served as village attorney 
and as a nu'iuber of the school Ixiard, and in the latter 
capacity lias promoted the erection of the present high 
school building. In addition to his professional work 
he is interested in agricultural develoj)ment and finds 
time for tlie management of his farms. In 1S9G he 
was married to Bertina ]\Iaria Bakke of Willmar, 
Minnesota. They have three children, Camilla, who 
is a member of the 1916 high school class; Horace, 
and Byron A. Mr. Hendricks is an enthusiastic out- 
of-door sportsman, enjoying hunting and fishing and 
recreation at his cottage on the lakes. He is a mem- 
ber of the United Norwegian Lutheran church and 
has earnestly supported the plan for the union of 
Lutheran churches. 



WILLIAM JACKSON. 



William Jackson, a well known pioneer and success- 
ful farmer of Grand Forks township, located in Polk 
county in 1876 and has since been prominently identi- 
fied with its agricultural development. He was born 
at White Haven, in Cumberland, England, January 
22, 1833 and lived there until 1868, when he came to 
Canada. As a youth he learned the trade of the iron 
molder and worked at this trade for many j'ears, in 
his native land and later in Canada. Becoming am- 
bitious to secure farming land, in 1876, he started west 
to Winnipeg where he had a large grant but his 
journey was destined to end at Fishers Landing, 
where, an acquaintance on the steam boat, George 
Walsh, persuaded him the most desirable land was to 
be found. In Grand Forks he heard of a tract of rail- 
road land in Grand Forks township, the first to be 
opened for settlement north of Grand Forks and this 
land he bought. With some cash capital and a team 
of oxen he was enabled to begin immediately his 
farming activities and in the first year put sixty acres 
under cultivation. The first home was a log house 
which was replaced in 1898 by a comfortable country 
home, pleasantly situated on the banks of Red River. 



Mr. Jackson has met with steady prosperity in his 
agricultural enterprise and has developed one of the 
model farm properties of Polk county. This place is 
in section three of Grand Forks township, on the river 
and conveniently located, six miles north of Grand 
Forks. For many years he devoted his attention to 
the raising of grain but of later years has extended his 
interest to stock farming, raising Short Horn cattle 
and dealing in dairy produce for private customers. 
As a pioneer and able citizen, Mr. Jackson enjoys the 
respect of the community, being essentially that type 
of man, who receives the best from all associations, 
having maintained friendly and co-operative relations 
from the early days when the Indians were his fre- 
quent visitors to the times when a more aggressive 
citizensliip is demanded. As a member of the town- 
ship board lie has given active service in public affairs, 
promoting the improvement of roads and schools. He 
is the descendant of a long line of faithful adherents 
to the Presbyteiian creed and is a member of the 
First Presbyterian church at Grand Forks. He was 
married in his native land to Mary Ann Wild, who 
is also a native of Cumberland and thev have three 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



369 



sons and two daughters, William, Thomas, John, who 
is a carpenter and resides at Brainerd, Minnesota ; 
Etta and Ida. William Jackson and Thomas Jackson 



are associated with their father in the operation of the 
home farm. 



MICHAEL MAGUIRE. 



Prosperous and successful in his farming operations 
because he has the grit, industry and good manage- 
ment to make himself so, Michael Maguire, who is 
one of the substantial residents of Sullivan township, 
in which he owns the greater part of 741 acres of 
highly productive laud, has won his own way to 
worldly comfort and independence, and is entitled to 
all the credit for his advancement. He was born in 
Lanark county, province of Ontario, Canada, May 30, 
1838, and came to Polk county and his present farm 
in 1878, obtaining his first tract of land as a home- 
stead. He had a pair of horses and $800 in money. 
He built a small frame house and soon afterward 
bought 160 acres of railroad land in Section 19, with 
a rebate for breaking the soil. His present farm of 
741 acres lies partly in Grand Forks township. For 
some of it he paid $70 an acre. He has 700 acres 
under cultivation, 560 of which are in his home farm. 

During the first fifteen years of his operations here 
Mr. Maguire devoted his attention almost wholly to 
raising grain, but during the residue of the time he 
has made the live stock industry equal to his general 
fanning operations, keeping regularly more than fifty 



head of cattle and doing his dealing in live stock in 
Grand Forks, emphasizing the purchase and sale of 
cows in all his transactions. He has given his time 
and energies Avholly to his interests on the farm, keep- 
ing out of politics, although he is a firm adherent 
of the Democratic party in state and national affairs. 
In 1879 Mr. Maguire was vmited in marriage with 
Miss Catherine Sullivan, a sister of James E. Sullivan, 
who, also, was born in Renfrew county, Ontario. 
Michael's family consists of four children. Ida is the 
wife of J. C. Sherlock, of East Grand Forks. They 
have no children. Ethel is the wife of Thomas Devitt, 
a railroad man. They have two children, their sons 
Eugene and Edward, and live in St. Paul. Sylvester 
is living at home and assisting his father in the man- 
agement of the farm. He married Miss Norah Logan. 
They have no children. Gertrude married William 
Schipers, also a railroad man living in St. Paul. They 
have one child, their daughter Gertrude. All the 
members of the family who are still within reach of it 
belong to the Catholic church of the Sacred Heart, 
of which Mr. and Mrs. Maguire have been members 
from its organization. 



FERDINAND E. Le PAGE. 



As a merchant, a hotel keeper and the postmaster 
at Mentor, this county, Ferdinand Le Page has many 
ways of being useful to his community, and he uses 
them to aidjn promoting its progress and the welfare 
of its residents. He was born near Montreal, Canada, 
August 4, 1854, and lived there until 1858, then 
moved to L 'Original, Ontario, with the family, at- 
tended common and high school there until 1875. 
Went into the mercantile business at Ottawa, Canada, 
remaining there until 1881. On March 2d of that 



year he came to Crookston and opened a store. This 
he conducted until 1886 and also kept a hotel in the 
city until that year. He then took charge of the St. 
Louis hotel and kept it for two yeai"s. During the 
succeeding four years he was on the road as a travel- 
ing salesman for the house of J. A. Shea of Minne- 
apolis. 

In the spring of 1893 Mr. Le Page was appointed 
postmaster of Crookston. He assumed the duties of 
the office on April 1st of that year and held it four 



370 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



j'ears, after which lie served as assistant postmaster 
for one year. On April 1, 1899, he moved to Men- 
tor and again became a hotel keeper and also 
engaged in the livery business in connection with the 
hotel, and in these lines of public service he is still 
engaged, in addition to being postmaster of Mentor, 
which he became by appointment of President Wilson 
on January 1, 1915. 

Mr. Le Page has taken an active part in the affairs 
of the village and township, and has acceptably filled 



all the different offices in their gift. He has also been 
a justice of the peace for a number of years. On Au- 
gust 17, 1875, Le was married in Ontario, Canada, to 
Miss Emma Seguin, a native of that province. They 
have had twelve children, eight of whom are living. 
They are Anatole, Arthur A., Louis F., Endora E., 
Ferdinand H., Alma E., Eva C. and Theodore C. All 
the members of the family belong to the Catholic 
church, in the welfare and progress of which they are 
deeply interested. 



OLOF M. GROVEN. 



Mercantile circles in and around ilentor, one of the 
thriving and progressive villages of this county, has 
no more enterprising, energetic or resourceful mer- 
chant among their business men than Olof M. Groven, 
the junior partner of the hardware firm of Ellingson 
& Groven, dealers in shelf and heavy hardware, furni- 
ture, stoves and ranges, farm implements, threshing 
machines, harness and horse furnishings. He was 
born at "Winger, Polk county, Minnesota, March 10, 
1892, and is a son of Ole T. and Tone (Hauge) Gro- 
ven, natives of Telemarken, Norway, who were among 
the first settlers at Winger, where they located early 
in the eighties, and where they now o\vii the east half 
of Section 26. 

The sou grew to the age of twenty years on his 
father's farm and obtained his education in the dis- 
trict schools and at the college in Crookston, fi-om 
which he was graduated in 1911. During about four 
months of 1912 he served as bookkeeper for the 



Mentor Co-operative company, then formed a part- 
nership with Eric Ellingson for the purpose of engag- 
ing in the hardware and implement trade. The part- 
nership still exists and the firm is in the front rank of 
business men in its part of the count}'. It carries an 
extensive stock of goods at all times and studies how 
it may best meet the requirements of the community 
in which it operates, please its patrons and continue 
to build up its trade and enhance its reputation and 
that of its store. 

Mr. Groven is a young man, but he takes an active 
and helpful part in the affairs of Mentor, Grove Park 
township, in which the village is located, and the 
whole county of Polk. He belongs to the Masonic 
fraternity and the Order of Modern Woodmen of 
America, and is a gentleman of fine social ([ualitics 
and warmly interested in everything that ministers 
to the welfare of the people among whom he lives and 
labors. 



HON. A. L. HOVLAND. 



The testamentary interests of the people of Polk 
county were placed in capable and careful hands when 
they were put in charge of Hon. A. L. Hovland as 
judge of probate by the fall election of 1912. He was 
well prepared for his official duties and since entering 
upon them he has been diligent, conscientious and 
thoroughly fair and discriminating in the perform- 



ance of them. He was first elected as a non-partisan 
candidate and in 1914 was reelected with general 
approval in all parts of the county. 

Judge Hovland was born in Goodhue county, Min- 
nesota, December 31, 1863, and is the son of Lars J. 
and Ingeborg (Throsseth) Hovland, who were bom in 
NorwaA' and came to the United States in the late 



COMPENDIUM OP HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



371 



fifties. They located ou a homestead in Norman 
county, Minnesota, in 1883, and there they passed the 
remainder of their days, the father dying at the age 
of seventy-nine and the mother some years later after 
she was over eiglity. 

Their son, A. L., remained in Goodhue county until 
1893. He tlien passed four years on a farm which he 
owns in Norman county. He was educated in the 
public schools and by private study and reading. In 
1897 he took up his residence at Fertile, in this county, 
where he was employed as manager of the Farmers' 
elevator for thirteen 3'ears, after which he spent three 
years on the road as a salesman for a grain commis- 
sion house in Minneapolis. He was elected judge of 
probate in November, 1912, and took possession of 



the office January 1, 1913, since when he has given 
his attention wholly to the duties of the position and 
discharged them to the satisfaction of the people. 

Judge Hovland was married in 1885, in Goodhue 
county, to Miss Anna Caroline Foss, a native of that 
county. They have five children, Myrtle Idella, 
Leonard Adelbert, Mabel Constance, Joseph Lincoln 
and Arnold Clinton. IVIyrtle is a graduate of the high 
school at Fertile and pursued a special course of 
training at the normal school in Moorhead. She was 
afterward a teacher in the public schools of Norman 
county. She is at present a deputy in her father's 
office. All the members of the family belong to the 
United Lutheran church and take an active part in its 
work for the welfare of the community. 



RIGHT REVEREND TIMOTHY CORBETT. 



Right Rev. Timothy Corbett, bishop of the See of 
Crookston, the fifth and latest organized in Minnesota, 
to which he was appointed in 1910, is one of Minne- 
sota's native sons, having been born at Mendota in 
1858. "While yet a lad, his parents removed to Minne- 
apolis, where he grew to maturity, attending the 
parochial school in Father, now Bishop, McGolrick's 
Parish, receiving private instruction in Latin, Greek 
and English from Father MeGolrick himself. 

In those boyhood da.ys his native inclination and 
habits gave an indication of the possible future worth 
of the man, and he was induced to enter more fully 
upon a thorough course of study, Father MeGolrick 
accompanying him to Mexemieux, France, where he 
became a student in the same school in which Arch- 
bishop John Ireland and Bishop 'Gorman had com- 
pleted courses, and where he continued four years, 
the progress made fully justifying the judgment of 
his teachers. 

Returning to America, he made his philosophical 
and theological studies in Grand Seminary at Mont- 
real and in Brighton Seminary at Boston, where he 
was ordained Priest in 1886. 

His initial pastoral work was in his own old home 



as assistant to Father MeGolrick, though three yeai-s 
later he was made pastor of Sacred Heart in Duluth, 
where he devoted the succeding twenty-one years, and 
until his elevation to the Episcopate. 

In 1892 the church and residence were destroyed by 
fire, entailing a serious loss to the weak congregation ; 
but with faith in the future, steps were at once taken 
to rebuild. The foundation was secured, but the 
financial conditions of that period were such that the 
cornerstone was not laid till the next year, and the 
present Sacred Heart Cathedral was finally dedicated 
in 1896, standing a worthy monument to his persist- 
ence and devotion to a cause and to the support of a 
loyal people. Coming to that church while it was still 
small, pastor and people grew and developed together, 
and it is said that few congregations in the state can 
show a closer intimacy and mutual confidence than 
was the case here for more than twenty years. 

Soon after his going to Duluth, his old friend Bishop 
MeGolrick followed him there, so that the intimacy of 
earlier years became closer, and it was not long till he 
was chosen Chancellor of the Diocese, so serving fif- 
teen years and until his own elevation to the place he 
now holds. The history of the church and collateral 



372 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



institutions bfing found elsewhere in this worji it is 
not necessary to speak of them here ; but reference to 
the personality oi' the IJishop and expresisons of 
others will not be out of place. May 9, 1910, he was 
consecrated in St. Mary's Chapel of St. Paul Semi- 
nar}', the occasion being one that called for the pres- 
ence and assistance of twenty-one visiting Bishops, 
six Bishops, three Archbishops and the Papal Dele- 
gate. Catholics and non-Catholics alike indicated 
earnest interest and appreciation, among the many 
present being the Governor and staff. 

As a priest Bishop Corbett is a dauntless defender 
of truth and justice, though of a retiring rather than 
of an aggressive nature, he has become a power and 
hesitates not, whatever be the occasion, to speak in 
no uncertain tones for the great principles of religion, 
social betterment and good citizenship. He has been 
called "The Thundering Orator," and while ever in 
private conversation has convincing argument and 



inspires coniidence, he is at his best when in the pulpit, 
warmed by the subject, his logical and forceful ora- 
tory carries the largest audience, and much of his 
success is attributed by his friends to this wonderful 
facultj'. 

As Chancellor of the Diocese he displayed highest 
business tact and judgment, not a little of the 
strengthening of the smaller churches being due to 
his personal attention and appeal. 

As Bishop the administration has already met with 
the uncjualified approval of all church authorities. 
One of tlie leading secular press said upon his eleva- 
tion, that "his appointment will prove a boon to the 
Diocese of Crookston, but with relative loss to the 
Cathedral of Duluth." 

As an American citizen he is thoroughly imbued 
with sound patriotic principles, no suitable occasion 
passing without his substantial indorsement of the cor- 
rect l)asis of our institutions. 



ELLSWORTH D. GUILDS. 



Now of North Yakima, "Washington, was for many 
years one of the most active business men of Crooks- 
ton. He was born at AVestboro, Mass., April 7, 1843. 
Soon after finishing the grade work in the local school, 
in 1856, he went with his parents to Pierce county Wis- 
consin. The end of the railroad was then at Dubuque, 
from where the trip to Preseott, at the junction of 
the Mississippi river with Lake St. Croix, was made 
on the steamer "War Eagle," under command of the 
noted old riverman, Capt. Harris. This boat and 
this old captain had much to do with the making of 
the gi-eat noi'thwest, both being frequently mentioned 
in the annals of its history, nearly all the first settlers 
having come up the river on the "War Eagle." 

The family home was made on a tract of wild land 
in Clifton township nine miles from Preseott, where 
was found the nearest church and school. The next 
ten years were spent in assisting in clearing and 
operating this farm. 

In October, 1861, his elder brother enlisted in the 



Union Army and went south, leaving Ellsworth alone 
to assist his father, who was accidentally drowned in 
Lake St. Croix soon after the departure of the elder 
brother ; the full care of the farm, mother, and sister 
then fell upon the young man. 

On Christmas day, 1864, he married Miss Esther 
Hamblin, of whose companionship and assistance he 
was deprived of by death less than two years 
thereafter. When his brother returned at the close 
of the war, Ellsworth left the old farm, but continued 
at farming on rented land, for two years. Having 
taken all the meagre advantages offered he secured a 
license as a teacher, and for some years was so en- 
gaged during the winters; while the summers were 
spent largely in a stave mill at River Falls. For parts 
of two years he was engaged in selling musical instru- 
ments, traveling with team over much of Wisconsin 
and Minnesota. 

In the fall of 1872 he bought an interest in the firm 
of Stone & Gray, grain dealers, and which contin- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



373 



ued as Stone, Gray & Childs until 1878, having in 
those years been extensive dealers not only in grain 
but also in agi'ieultural implements. In the historical 
department of this work will be found a very interest- 
ing reminiscence of Mr. Childs relative to early days 
in Crookston, to which the reader is referred, and 
which will be found well worth perusal, and which 
gives so much of his own relation to the Red River 



Valley that we will not repeat it here. July 7, 1873, 
Mr. Childs was united in marriage at Norwalk, Ohio, 
to Eliza McLorinan, whose death of paralysis oc- 
curred November 4, 1904. Of four children born, 
one died in infancy. 

In 1907 Mr. Childs removed to the west, engaging 
in the extensive growing of fruits at North Yakima, 
Washington, where he still resides. 



CORNELIUS J. KELLEHER. 



Cornelius J. Kelleher, mayor of East Grand Forks, 
and a prominent business man, has been a resident 
of Polk county since 1906. Prior to that time he had 
resided for a number of years in Grand Forks, where 
he engaged in the plumbing and heating business, to 
which activity he has devoted his business career with 
notable success. He is a native of Ireland, bom in the 
city of Cork, March 2, 1867, and accompanied his 
parents to this country when twelve years of age. For 
a few years they resided at Ithaca, N. Y., and in 1882 
removed to St. Paul, where his parents continue to 
make their home. As a youth he became apprenticed 
to the plumber's trade and steadily worked his way 
to an independent business and for ten years con- 
ducted a profitable trade in Grand Forks. In 1906 
he located in East Grand Forks, where he is recognized 
as one of the substantial and capable business men of 
the eit}'. Not only in commercial circles but in every 
phase of civic interest, Mr. Kelleher has made his 



influence a factor in behalf of progress and higher 
achievement, and while his preference is for the serv- 
ice of a private citizen, his aggressive and capable 
cooperation has compelled a more active and responsi- 
ble position. He served as a member of the city coun- 
cil during the term which was marked by the 
installation of the city water works and was also a 
member of the charter commission. Upon the launch- 
ing of a citizens' ticket in the political arena, through 
which the voters advocated enforcement of city ordi- 
nances and a clean and efficient government, Mr. 
Kelleher was chosen to head the ticket and led it to 
victorious election and a commendable fulfillment of 
its pledges. He was married in East Grand Forks 
to Nellie Racine, daughter of Louis and Mary Racine, 
pioneers of the city. Mr. Kelleher and his wife have 
four children, Mary, Firmin, Louis and Cornelius J., 
and he with his family, is a communicant of the Sacred 
Heart Catholic church. 



PETER A. HOTVEDT. 



The late Peter A. Hotvedt, who made a quarter of 
Section 8, Sullivan township, and some other land 
into choice farms, well improved and highly pro- 
ductive, and who became one of the leading citizcnj 
of his township, began his career in this county with 
almost nothing in the way of capital, continued it 
through many difficulties and rendered every step of 
it one of progress and service to his locality. He was 
born in Portage county, Wisconsin, February 26, 



1856, and died on his Sullivan township farm July 22, 
1905. On April 1, 1878, in company with his brother, 
Nels Hotvedt and 0. T. Onnelaud, he came to the 
Red river valley, whose promise had been painted in 
glowing colors to his two companions while they were 
working on farms in Fillmore county, Minnesota, by 
a traveling merchant tailor. 

Each of the three adventurers selected a homestead, 
Peter A. Hotvedt taking the southwest quarter, his 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



374 

brotber Nels the southeast quarter and Mr. Onneland 
the northeast quarter of Section 8, in Sullivan town- 
ship. They decided to pool their issues and built a 
shanty nine by fourteen feet in size on the line be- 
tween the homesteads of Nels Hotvedt and Mr. Onne- 
land, with a bed on each side of the one room. They 
then cut basswood logs on railroad land on the Red 
river five miles away, and with them they built a 
house fourteen by eighteen feet for Peter, who had 
been married the year previous. The three had about 
$300 among them and they bought two yoke of oxen 
at $125 a yoke. The two bachelors slept in their own 
house but boarded with Peter after the arrival of his 
wife and tiret child. The wife was Miss Clarissa Lind 
before her marriage, and tliey were married young. 
Soon after they settled here Andrew Anderson, who 
had been their neighbor in Wisconsin, homesteaded on 
the remaining quarter of Section 8. 

A little later Mr. Hotvedt bought eighty acres of 
railroad land in Section 9 at $6 an acre, with a rebate 
of $3 for each acre he should break up, and his brother 
and Mr. Onneland made .similar deals. Peter passed 
his time on his land until the death of his first wife 
five years after she came to this county, and for some 
time longer, his sister keeping house for him. He 
then passed two years keeping store at East Grand 
Forks, but in 1889 returned to his farm and remained 
on it the rest of his life. He sei-ved as township clerk 
for several years and in other ways rendered good 
service to the people, as be was always interested in 
their welfare and ready to aid in promoting it. 

By his first marriage Mr. Hotvedt became the father 
of two sons and one daughter, William L., Charles and 
Gertrude. Charles is now a resident of Rocky Ford, 
Colorado, but still owns a farm near the family home- 
stead. Gertrude died in infancy. William was born 
in Portage county, Wisconsin, March 31, 1878, and 
was reared on the Sullivan township farm. He at- 
tended school in the country near his home and at 
East Grand Forks, and was with his father until the 
death of the latter except during five years which he 
passed on a homestead he took up in Marshall county, 



Minnesota, in 1899, which he still owns and now devotes 
to raising hay. He also owns 160 acres near his old 
home, the father a.ssisting him in the purchase of it, as 
he aided the otlier son in making a similar purchase. 
They all worked together with their father, and the 
two sons remained in partnership for two j'ears after 
the father's deatli. 

William withdrew to his own farm at the end of 
the partnership and Cliarles worked the home farm 
until 1909, when William returned to it and Charles 
rented a farm in Grand Forks township. Now William 
works his own farm, the home place and Charles' 
farm, 560 acres in all, and raises large quantities of 
grain and other products, his crops in 1915 being 
more than 10,000 bushels of grain and a great output 
of potatoes from the twenty to thirty acres devoted to 
that vegetable. He also plants a few acres in corn 
and keeps a number of cattle of good strains and 
raises his own horses, having three four-horse teams 
with which he plows and does other work. 

Mr. Hotvedt is a Democrat in his political faith and 
allegiance, and is at present (1915) a justice of the 
peace. His father was a Republican in the early life 
but became a Democrat Ijefore he died. By a second 
marriage he became the father of four children, Ger- 
trude M., Clara, Walter and Arthur. Gertrude mar- 
ried 0. E. Bjoring and died at the age of twenty-five, 
leaving a daughter, Margaret, who lives with her 
grandmother. Clara, Walter and Arthur are living 
at home. Clara has been a teacher in the scliools in 
North Dakota. She was educated in Grand Forks, 
pursuing the summer normal course and also a course 
in business training. For two years she was em- 
ployed as a stenogi-aphor in Grand Forks. 

Peter A. Hotvedt's second marriage took place in 
East Grand Forks, November 28, 1888, and united 
with him Miss Mary Bergman. His venture in mer- 
cantile life was an unfortunate one. The business was 
conducted largely on credit and turned out disas- 
trously. When he died his estate was heavily encum- 
bered, but his widow displayed rare business ability 
as the head of affairs, and within a few years had all 




THEODORE NELSON 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



375 



the indebtedness paid off and the new buildings now 
standing on the farm erected. She assumed a weighty 
burden with the heroic fortitude of a Spartan woman 



and bore it to a triumphant release with the self- 
denial of a devotee and the skill of a veteran financier. 



THEODORE NELSON. 



Theodore Nelson, cashier of the State bank at 
Erskiue, is a native of Polk county, born in Badger 
township June 14, 1885, the son of Torger and Mary 
Nelson, who came from Norway to Polk county in 
1882. Torger Nelson became a well-known pioneer 
citizen and merchant and after many years of a suc- 
cessful career, retired from commercial activity and 
is now living at Erskine. Three of his sons are resi- 
dents of the county, Anton Nelson and Theodore Nel- 
son, who live in Erskine, and 0. T. Nelson, a promi- 
nent business man of Gully, and Oscar Nelson, the 
fourth son of Mary and Torger Nelson, is teller at 
the Northern National bank at Bemidji, Minnesota. 
Theodore Nelson was educated in the schools at 
Erskine and all the interests of his career have been 



confined to his native county. He has earned his 
responsible position in the financial world through 
native ability and ambition backed by competence 
and industry. His first position in the bank was that 
of bookkeeper, which position he held from 1902 until 
1906, when he was advanced to the position of assist- 
ant cashier and in 1912, at the time of the reorganiza- 
tion of the bank, he was elected cashier and became 
financially interested in the institution. Mr. Nelson 
is one of the younger business men of the county who 
have already won their mark of success and enjoys 
the confidence and respect of a wide circle of friends 
and associates. He is interested in farm lands but 
devotes his attention to the affairs of the bank. 



EDWARD HAMLIN NESBITT. 



To avoid confusion it should be remembered that 
this family name is spelled three different ways by the 
persons who bear it in Polk county. The name of 
the township, which was chosen in honor of the mem- 
bers of the family who were the first settlers in it, is 
' ' Nesbit ; ' ' the name of the family to which the subject 
of this sketch belongs is "Nesbitt," and that of still 
another family is "Nisbet. " 

Edward Hamlin Nesbitt, who lives on Section 27, 
Nesbit township, four miles and a half north of Fisher, 
was born in Kalamazoo county, Michigan, four miles 
south of the city of Kalamazoo, September 19, 1845. 
His father went to Michigan from Ireland and his 
mother from the state of New York. The son grew to 
manhood in Michigan and then traveled some years 
through the south after the Civil war. On his return 
to the north he located near Rockford, Illinois, on a 
prairie farm which was already improved. After 



remaining four years in Illinois he returned to Michi- 
gan and passed another year with his parents in that 
state. 

The south had still a winning voice for Mr. Nesbitt, 
however, and he was unable to withstand its per- 
suasiveness. He went to Florida and passed four years 
in the cotton country near Tallahassee. But he found 
that a region must have more than climate to make 
it attractive. The soil in Florida was poor for what 
he wished to do, and he determined to return again 
to the north, where he could raise wheat and other 
grain. His attention was drawn to the Red river val- 
ley, and in June, 1880, he came to Polk county, 
Minnesota, and bought a whole section of railroad land 
at $7 an acre, with a rebate of $3 an acre if three- 
fourths of the land should be broken up within a speci- 
fied period of time. 

Mr. Nesbitt had left then about .$1,300, and he put 



376 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOORxVPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



up a frame house, which cost him $800, aud which he 
lived ill until 1912. Ilis first teams were oxen. These 
were superseded iii a little while by mules, and later 
he used only horses. He broke up as much of his laud 
as he could, but, while he suffered no total loss of 
crops, he had no grain to sell during his first three 
years on the farm. The land was so wet much of the 
time that it could not be worked and the farmers were 
helpless for years under this condition. Then, hail 
storms would come aud destroy a large part of what a 
fairly good season gave them hopes of harvesting, and 
so discouraging were the circumstances that there was 
no demand for the land, and it was at times impossible 
to give it away. Since the present ditching system was 
inaugurated about sixteen years ago all have been able 
to raise good crops and the value of the laud has risen 



rapidly, Mr. Nesbitt's being now worth at least $100 
an acre. 

In 1912 Mr. Nesbitt erected his present dwelling 
house, which is a very good one, and he also has good 
barns and other improvements, among them ten acres 
of trees which form an attractive and useful grove. In 
1915 his farm yielded about 13,000 bushels of grain 
and a large quantity of hay. He is at present town- 
ship assessor and has also served as supervisor of the 
township. At the age of twenty-two he was married 
in Michigan to Miss Celia M. Van Hoesen. They have 
three children, Cora B., Victor H. and Irene, all of 
whom are still members of the parental family circle. 
Ml-. Nesbitt gives a good deal of attention to raising 
white-faced Hereford cattle of superior strains in ad- 
dition to his general farming operations, and is suc- 
cessful in the enterprise. 



MARTIN SANDS. 



This first settler and long the leading citizen of 
Sandsville township, this county, which he helped to 
organize and which was named in his honor, has had 
a varied career in his struggle to aid in making the 
wilderness docile and productive. The fine farm which 
he has made of his wild and for years very wet land in 
the southwest quarter of section 8, with its northern 
border on the line between Polk and ^Marshall coun- 
ties, lies one mile and a half south of Alvarado, seven- 
teen miles north of Grand Forks and forty-two miles 
northwest of Crookston, and is now one of the choice 
ones in the township. 

Mr. Sands was born in Norway November 23, 1854, 
and came to the United States with his parents in his 
fifteenth year, locating with them near La Crosse, Wis- 
consin. The father soon afterward took a homestead 
in Kandiyohi county, this state, on which his son Mar- 
tin grew to manhood. In 1875, when he was just 
twenty-one, the j'oung man visited the Red river valley 
and stopped a .short time at Fisher's Landing. But he 
returned to his father's home and remained there two 
years. In 1877 he eame back to Polk county and select- 



ed his homestead and also chose one for each of his 
two brothers, Ole and Casper, and another for JIartin 
Johnson, their cousin. 

In making his selections Mr. Sands chose land suit- 
al)le for grazing with an extensive open range around 
it, for he concluded that it would be years before the 
locality was much settled. In March, 1878, he built 
three shacks and slept one night in each of them. He 
then returned to Kandiyohi county, and in May or 
June, as soon as the grass was fit for pasture, he 
brought over ninety head of cattle, two yoke of oxen 
and one pair of mules and three saddle ponies. He 
and his two brothers owned all the land, and all their 
subsequent operations were carried on in partnership, 
although Casper, who died in 1914, was a conductor 
on the Great Northern railroad for thirty years, and 
necessarily absent from the land a great deal of that 
time. When Martin drove his cattle to his land miles 
of the distance between it and Grand Forks were all 
under water. 

Ole Sands was married, and his wife and one-year 
old son accompanied him to his new home. Martin also 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



377 



brought his sister Maren with him to be his house- 
keeper. She afterward married Martin Johnson, and 
is still living near Alvarado. The live stock did Avell 
and the Sands boys found a ready market for all they 
had to Bell among new settlers, and they kept bringing 
up new supplies from Kandiyohi count}'. But in the 
course of a few years the settlers were all supplied and 
the market grew slack, especially as the range for the 
cattle was settled up. 

In this contingency Martin Sands moved to Crooks- 
ton and had a meat market, where he remained three 
years, and also handled live stock on his own account. 
He then traded young stock for mares and bronchos 
in Montana, and hired a man to care for them. In 
1889 he returned to his farm. He then had some thirty 
acres of his homestead under cultivation, and also had 
a tree claim some distance away, which he plowed up. 
He had helped several persons to come over from Nor- 
way, among them his three uncles, Amun Berg, Ole 
Holt and Ole Gulbrandson, bringing their families 
with them. The Sands brothers paid their passage 
over and helped them after they came. Each of the 
uncles took a homestead. They have aU died here, 
but their children are still living in the locality. 

Mr. Sands has bought and sold a great deal of land, 
but he now owns only one half-section. For many 
years he has devoted his attention to raising grain as 
his principal dependence, but in 1901, on account of 
floods had only partial crops and lost several of his 
hoi-ses from swamp fever. For eleven days that year 
he was forced to go about on his place in boats, and 
the crops on 600 acres of his land were wholly spoiled. 
Because of this disaster he moved to "Warren and 
opened a meat market. 

Merchandising was not to his taste, and Mr. Sands 
and his brothers organized a ditch district and suc- 
ceeded in having a ditch dug direct to the Red river 



at a cost of $80,000, which was not finished, however, 
for four or five years. When the Soo railroad was 
building and Alvarado was started he moved to that 
town and built a hotel to aid in starting the town, but 
afterward sold the structure without making any 
money on the deal. When the new ditch was com- 
pleted he decided to return to his farm, and he has 
had excellent crops ever since, the ditch being the 
making of this region as a farming country. 

When the township was organized it extended IY2 
miles farther north than it does now, the extra strip 
of ly^ miles being now in Marshall county. Mr. Sands 
has filled every office in the township from time to 
time, has served many times on juries in Crookston, 
has helped to build roads, and in every other way has 
aided in promoting the progress and development of 
the township. He and his brothers procured the 
building of the first road from the Red river back into 
the prairie, and this has been a great help to the 
region. 

Mr. Sands was married in 1884 to Miss Annetta 
Larson, a daughter of Andrew Larson in Higden and 
the sister of Louis Larson, now of Sandsville town- 
ship. They have ten children, Clara, Hilma, Effie, 
Alfred, Ella, Agnes, Stella, Frederick, Marvin and 
Margaret. Clara is the wife of Anton Frugard of 
Devon Mount. Hilma is the widow of Robert Fering, 
of Alvarado. Effie is the wife of Adolph B'atalden, 
of Cottonwood county. Agnes is a teacher in Mar- 
shall county. Frederick is a student in the high 
school at Warren. The others are all at home. The 
members of the family all belong to the Novst Luth- 
eran church, which Mr. Sands joined with thirty 
others in starting. The church edifice they built was 
moved to Alvarado when that town was begun. In 
the early days Mr. Sands shot many deer in his 
neighborhood, also one big bear and a wolf. 



AMUND CHRISTIANSON. 



Amund Christianson, who is one of the progressive 

and successful farmers of Polk covintv, and whose 
24 



choice farm is located in section 18, Sullivan township, 
five miles northeast of East Grand Forks and half 



378 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAFHY OF POLK COUNTY 



a mile back from the main road ruiming through 
this locality, is a native of Norway. When he came 
to the United States he located in Renville county, 
Minnesota, where he was variously employed for six 
years, then took up a homestead which he converted 
into a good farm. 

In 1878 Mr. Christiansen came to Polk county and 
took a pre-emption claim on the land on which he 
now lives, which is the southeast quarter of section 
18, Sullivan township. He was accompanied to this 
county by his present brother-in-law, Ole Rice, and 
Mrs. Rice, the mother of Ole. Mr. Rice took a pre- 
emption claim on the northwest quarter of section 
18 and his mother a tree claim on the east half of 
the northeast quarter of that section. Ole Rice lived 
iu this county about twenty years, then moved to 
Oregon. His mother died here, and her tree claim 
became the property of her daughter, Mrs. Chris- 
tianson. Mr. Christiansen, who is now living retired 
from active pursuits has sold a large part of the land 
he once owned, and now owns only his original farm, 
the cultivation of which he supervises. When his son 
Christian married he gave him 160 acres. 

Grasshoppers destroyed the crops of ]\Ir. Chris- 
tianson in Renville county, so he hooked up his ox 
teams and drove to this county for a new start and 
a better opportunity for advancement. His first home 
here was a crude dugout on the banks of the IMarais, 
but this was soon succeeded by a log house, whicli 
lasted until he built his present abode. To his first 
marriage was born one child, his son Christian Amund- 
son, who was named according to the Scandinavian 
custom. Mr. Christianson 's first wife was Miss Gena 
Rice. She died in 1897. His second marriage, in 



1903, was to Ingeborg Ollestad, whose son John by 
a former marriage, is making his home with them, 
ilr. Christianson is a devout and zealous member of 
Grand Marais Lutheran church. 

Christian Amundson, the only son and child of 
Amund Christianson, was born in Norway September 
9, 1868, and at the age of eighteen years came to 
Polk county, Minnesota. In 1898 he was married to 
^liss Sena Ilotvedt, a sister of the late Peter A. Hot- 
vedt. At the time of his marriage he bought his pres- 
ent farm of Ole Rice and the tree claim which 
belonged to Ole's mother first and Christian's step- 
mother afterward, the tree claim being the tract on 
which he is now living. He had in addition the 160 
acre farm in Northland township, five miles north of 
his home, which once belonged to his father. 

Mr. Amundson completed the house on his farm 
begun by Ole Rice and put up all the other l)uildings 
on the place. He has since bought another farm of 
160 acres, which adjoins his home farm and is cul- 
tivated in connection with it, the whole body of 400 
acres being treated as one farm. His principal in- 
dustry is raising wheat, oats, barley and flax. In 
1915 his crops aggregated 7,000 bushels. His farm 
lies along the Marais river and is one of the choice 
ones of the valley. It contains a grove of stately 
trees planted by Mrs. Rice and her son Ole. 

For ten years Mr. Amundson has served as town- 
ship supervisor, and he lias long served as a member 
of the school board. His religious connection is with 
the Grand Marais Lutheran church, of which he was 
one of the trustees for a number of years. He and 
his wife are the parents of six children, Elcanora, 
John, Alice, Harold, Clara and Clarence. 



JAMES McDonald. 



Cultivating with enterprise and skill 560 acres of 
land in one body, only part of which lies in his home 
farm, James McDonald, of section 32, Nesbit town- 
ship, is doing as much as almost any other man to aid 
in promoting the industrial and commercial power 



of Polk county and minister to the general welfare 
and progress of its residents. He was born in County 
Frontenac, province of Ontario, Canada, December 
6, 1853. and in the spring of 1876 came to Blue Earth 
countj-, Minnesota. During his first summer in this 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



379 



state he worked as a farm hand in Blue Earth county, 
and in the winter was employed in lumber camps on 
the Chippewa river in Wisconsin, running logs on the 
drive when spring came and while it lasted. 

When he quit the lumber job he went to Duluth 
expecting to get work on the railroad. But in Duhith 
he met some of his old friends from Ontario who wei-e 
on their way to the Red river vallej', where the Xes- 
bit boys had already started a settlement on the 
Marais river, but were the only men located there. 
Mr. McDonald and his companion, David Morrow, 
who had come with him from Canada, joined their 
old neighbors and came to this section. He filed on 
a part of his present farm as a pre-emption claim, but 
afterward changed his claim to one for a homestead 
in order to get a full quarter-section. He had about 
$350 in money to start with. 

David Morrow selected at the same time a place 
about one mile distant, and each of the two newcomers 
hired the breaking up of twenty acres of his land. 
This was in the spring of 1877. They cut logs and 
hewed them for a dwelling house, and the next winter 
they put up a house of the hewn logs sixteen by twenty 
feet in size. This house is still standing and in a good 
state of preservation. The winter was an open one 
and Mr. McDonald and Robert Nisbet built several 
houses, hauling logs to Grand Porks to have them 
sawed into lumber for finishing the houses. The next 
spring Mr. McDonald planted the twenty acres he had 
plowed. He had bought oxen but these he sold after 
he got his crop in and could dispense with their serv- 
ices for a time. 

At that time Mr. McDonald and Robert Ncsliit 
went back to their old home in Canada and were mar- 
ried on the same day. May 8, 1878, Mr. McDonald 
being united with Miss Isabella Miller, who had been 
his schoolmate in earlier years. He brought a car- 
load of stock on his return trip and his wife followed 
with Mr. and Mrs. Nesbit. Several other settlers ac- 
companied them, the party including James Lee, wife 
and family, William Hannah, Daniel H. McDonald, a 
brother of James, Mr. Bromelee, Sandy McLean and 
George Island. 



In his carload of live stock James McDonald had 
horses for David Alorris, James Lee, Robert Nesbit 
and George Island, of this neighborhood, and one for 
James Miller, of Pargo. That spring (1878) Mr. 
McDonald's grain came up well but dry cold winds 
injured his crop. In the following winter he hauled 
wood to Pisher, a mile and a half distant, to supply 
the railroad with fuel for its engines, and got 55 cents 
a cord for it. In this way he earned the cost of a 
wagon, having none the first summer. He kept on 
breaking land for himself and others, raising grain 
and hay, and was soon enjoying substantial prosper- 
ity with good prospects of getting ahead rapidly. 

In the course of time Mr. IMcDonald bought eighty 
aci'es of railroad land at $5 an acre, with a rebate 
of $3 an acre for breaking up three-fourths of it. He 
also acquired another tract of eighty acres which was 
already plowed, and in 1898 he bought an additional 
half-section for $7,000, all plowed and ready for seed- 
ing. He keeps twenty-five to thirty head of cattle, but 
grain has been his main dependence, and in 1915 his 
crops totaled 3,550 bushels of wheat, 3,500 of barley, 
4,000 of oats and 140 of rye. 

Mr. McDonald iielped to organize Nesbit township, 
which was named in honor of the Nesbit boys, al- 
though only one of them was living in it at the time, 
but they and Joseph Jarvis were its first settlers. lie 
has served on the township board many years, a large 
part of the time as its chairman ; has aided actively 
and extensivelj' in road and ditch work; has been a 
member of the school board almost continuously from 
its organization, and in all ways open to him has done 
all he could to help push the township along to better 
development and greater progress. His religious con- 
nection is with the Bethel Presbyterian church, which 
he has served well as a deacon and a member of its 
official board. His father was one of the founders of 
the church and he is devoted to it. 

Mr. and Mrs. McDonald became the parents of nine 
children, all of whom are living. They are : Ethel 
Ellen, who is the wife of George White, of Saskatoon, 
Canada; William J., who lives on the Mallory farm; 
Eva Belle, who is the wife of William Nesbit ; Daniel 



380 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



Lloyd, wlio is living at home; Mabel Jennie, who is 
the wife of Robert Stewart, a sou of T. D. Stewart, 
of Huutsville township ; Margaret Fern, who was a 
teacher in Polk count}' but is now teaching in Bemidji; 
Roy Herbert, Kate Gladys and Mary Edith, all of 
whom are living at home, Kate being the housekeeper 
of the family. She attended the State Agricultural 
school at Crookston, and Mary is a student of music 



iu Grand Forks. Their mother died November 17, 
1903, and since then one after another of the daugh- 
ters has looked after the affairs of the household. The 
lather is a member of the Independent Order of Odd 
Fellows. He has passed through all the chairs of his 
local lodge and sensed as its representative to the 
Grand Lodge of the Order at different times. 



J. FRANTv BOLES, D. D. S. 



This gentleman, who stands high in professional 
and fraternal circles, being one of the leading den- 
tists of the northwest and a very enterprising and 
progressive citizen, has shown an active and help- 
ful interest iu everything that makes for a better 
town and the general welfare of Crookston, the city 
of his home for nearly seventeen years, or since 
November, 1899. He was born in Clinton, province 
of Ontario, Canada, July 30, 1875, and obtained his 
professional training at the Detroit Dental College, 
of Detroit, Michigan, fi'om which he was graduated 
in May, 1809. In November of that year he located 
in Crookston, where Judge William A. "Watts, his 
mother's brother, was living at the time. Dr. Boles 
and two others in the city are the only dentists of 
that period who are still living in Crookston. Dr. 
Robertson and Dr. Spencer both preceded him. 

Dr. Boles has an e.xten.sive and exacting general 



practice, and he gives it close and continual attention. 
He is a member of the District, State and National 
Dental associations and one of the ofEcers of the Dis- 
trict association. His profession absorbs him almost 
wholly, the only recreation he takes being occasional 
bass fishing expeditions to the lakes in Minnesota. 
He is a diligent and thoughtful student of the litera- 
ture of his profession and makes every effort to keep 
abreast of its latest discoveries and all its advances 
in every way. He is unmarried and about the middle 
of 1913 he induced his mother and his sister to take 
up their residence iu Crookston. Fraternally he is 
a Freemason and the Eminent Commander of Con- 
stautine Comraandery No. 20, K. T., and a member of 
the Grand Comma ndery of Minnesota. Socially he 
is connected with tlie Crookston Commercial club and 
an Elk. 



HELMER IIORKEN. 



Succeeding to the ownership and management of 
the farm on which he now lives after the death of his 
parents, and giving close and careful attention to his 
work, Helmer Horken, one of the enterprising and 
prosperous farmers of Sullivan townsliip, this county, 
juis made his way steadily forward and is now recog- 
nized as one of the sterling and substantial residents 
of the part of the county in which he lives. He was 
born in Deeorah, Iowa, August 1, 1875, and is a son 
of Hans E. and Martha Horken, who were born, reared 



and married in Norway and came to Polk county, Min- 
nesota, after residing ten years in or near Deeorah, 
Iowa, following a residence of one or two years in Wis- 
consin. 

The father took up a homestead in Sullivan town- 
ship in 1877 and lived on it until his death in the 
spring of 1890. He was born October 28, 1831, and 
liis wife February 3, 1838. She died in August, 1906. 
They had no means when they came to this county 
witli their seven children, and the father had to hire 



COMPENDIUM OP HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



381 



a man to break up his land while he worked as a 
fireman on a Hudson Bay company boat on the Red 
river to support his family. He also did some black- 
smithing, thereby working at the trade he had learned 
in his native land. Two or three years after his ar- 
rival here he obtained a yoke of steers and broke them, 
and by that time his farm was yielding a living for 
the family. 

The elder Mr. Horker bought another tract of 160 
acres two miles and a half east of his homestead and 
built the present dwelling house on the home place 
ten or twelve years after taking possession of it, the 
first residence of the family on the farm being a little 
log shack with a sod roof. He also set out a lot of 
trees which now make a fine grove. When he died his 
son Helmer, who was living on the homestead, took 



charge of it for his mother, who continued to operate 
it until she died except for three years, during which 
she lived in Grand Forks. When she died he bought 
out the other heirs, and now owns the whole place, ou 
which he has built a new bam and made other im- 
provements. 

Mr. Horken's principal industries are raising grain 
and live stock. He has seventeen head of high grade 
Percheron horses, twenty head of cattle and ten milch 
cows, the cattle all being Herefords of a superior 
strain. In 1907 he was married to Miss Martha Eids- 
ness, a native of Norway. They have four children, 
Ella, Arnold, Harold and Stella. The father is a 
Republican in politics and a member of the township 
board and township supervisor. 



PETER E. SWANSON. 



For nearly eighteen years after coming to this 
county and settling down to build up for himself a 
new home in the American wilderness Peter E. Swan- 
son, who now has a fine farm in sectiou 22, Northland 
township, this county, wrestled with almost overpow- 
ering difficulties and encountered an almost continu- 
ous succession of disasters and discouragements. Yet 
he stuck to his purpose and the place on which he had 
determined to carry it out, with the result that he has 
conquered bad fortune and achieved a gratifying suc- 
cess. As the portion of the county in which he lives 
is flat and low, in the early years before there was any 
systematic drainage on a large scale in the neighbor- 
hood, water often covered a great part of his land 
for many months and he was unable to work it in 
time to raise a crop. When this condition did not 
prevail either frost or smut would spoil his crop, and 
he was no better off than in a wet season. At times he 
has had to walk in water waist-deep to get to his house 
when he was away from it. Since the judicial ditch 
was dug about 1898 the water has not troubled him 
and his crops have been good. 

Mr. Swanson was born in Sweden October 13, 1839, 



and came to the United States and this county in 1880. 
He homesteaded ou the southwest quarter of section 
22, and was the second settler in that neighborhood, 
John Eriekson, on section 14, two miles farther north- 
east, having come first. But Mr. Swanson was about 
three miles farther northeast than any other settler. 
What money he brought with him from Sweden was 
lost and he had nothing when he arrived here. He 
built a little log house, which is still standing, and in 
this he lived until 1915, when the present larger and 
more comfortable dwelling wa-s put up. Other im- 
provements were made from time to time as he was 
able. 

During the first year of his residence in this county 
Jlr. Swanson worked for other farmers in the sum- 
mer and in the fall he cut hay, which he sold in Grand 
Forks at $3 to $4 a ton. He lias always stuck to his 
farm, seeking no other business and no public life or 
official position of any kind at any time. He is a fer- 
vent member of the Swedish Lutheran church, which 
he helped to build about 1887. 

Mr. Swanson was married and had an adopted 
daughter when he came to Minnesota. His wife died 



382 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



in October, 1890. Emma, the adopted daughter, is 
uow ^Irs. Ekdahl, and has been a widow for twenty- 



three years. Her son, John "William Ekdahl, aged 
twenty-four, carries on the farm for Mr. Swauson. 



OLE B. DAHL. 



Living retired from active pursuits Eifter his term 
of privation, toil and trial, with a comfortable com- 
petence and an agreeable home in East Grand Forks, 
Ole B. Dahl has well illustrated in his career as a pro- 
gressive and successful farmer the value of persistent 
industry, frugality and thrift, and has honestly earned 
the comforts and advantages they bring. He was 
born in Norway April 1, 1840, and was there reared 
to manhood and taught his trade as a shoemaker. He 
came to the United States in 1866 and located in 
Winona, Minnesota, where he passed a year working 
at his trade in a shop in wliich twenty men were em- 
ployed, a large number for a far western town in that 
day. 

Mr. Dahl next took up a pre-emption claim in Ren- 
ville county, Minnesota, when that county was just 
opening to settlement. He proved up his claim as 
pre-emption and paid $1.2.) per acre, but made slow 
progress in developing and improving his land. In 
1874, 1876 and 1877 the grasshoppers devoured his 
crops. He had a good crop in 1875 but the growing 
vegetation in other parts of the county was all con- 
sumed by the pests, which no effort seemed sufficient 
to eradicate for some years. 

In 1879 Mr. Dahl moved to Polk county, having 
sold his land for $2,000 which was then considered 
an exorbitant price. He was unable to sell his cows, 
however, as butter was selling at five cents a pound. 
He took up a homestead in section 12 of what is now 
Esther township but was then a part of Higdem, his 
location being about ten miles north of East Grand 
Forks. He worked the farm for a number of years 
and improved it with good buildings. In 1885 he 
rented it to a tenant and moved to East Grand Forks. 
He bought a few acres of land near that city but he 
has not given it his personal labor as he has since been 
living retired from work. Before leaving the farm 



he added to it twenty acres of timber land, and he 
has since bought another farm, but he has sold both 
the old one and the new one. 

Mr. Dahl never allowed himself to become wholly 
absorbed in his own affairs. He always took an active 
and helpful interest in the affairs of the locality of 
his home, and served as township assessor of Higdem 
township three years while it included Esther town- 
ship, the division being made after lie left his farm. 
He also served on the school board and filled other 
local offices in Higdem township. 

"While he was living in Renville county Mr. Dahl 
was married to Miss Hannah Lareon, a daughter of 
Bernt and Martha Larson and a native of Norway. 
She came with her parents to Dakota count}-, Min- 
nesota, in 1862, and took up her residence with them 
in that county, accompanying them to Renville county 
in 1865. The Indian outbreak of 1862 so frightened 
them that the father did not take up a homestead until 
1865. In 1877 they changed their residence to Polk 
county and took a homestead in section 10, Esther 
township, as it is now, being among the very first 
.settlers in that part of the county. The father after- 
ward added 200 acres of railroad land to his farm in 
order to have timber for use on his fai'iii. Later he 
built a dwelling house and other buildings on the rail- 
road land at the edge of the tini])er, and there he died 
in June, 1902. The mother is still living and has her 
home with Mr. and Mrs. Dahl. 

The Larson farm is now owned by the two daugh- 
ters of the household, Mrs. Dahl and Mrs. Melsness 
of Renville county. Mr. Dahl cultivated it for five 
years, and since he left it it has been under the man- 
agement of his son-in-law, 0. J. Norgord. Mr. and 
Mrs. Dahl have seven children living : Caroline, who 
is the wife of B. K. Johnson, of Esther township; 
"Mary, who is the wife of 0. J. Norgord, and lives on 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



383 



the old Larson farm which he now has charge of; 
Sophia, who is the wife of H. Ellingson, a railroad man 
who lives in Grand Forks ; Hildah, who is the wife of 
H. M. Erickson, a banker at Upham, North Dakota; 
Ole, who resides in Seattle, AVashington; Clara, who 
is the wife of R. M. Jensen, assistant cashier of the 
Scandinavian-American Bank of Grand Forks, and 
Gunda, wlio is the wife of W. M. Ludwig, a council- 



man. A daughter named Minnie, who was a stenog- 
rapher, died at the age of twenty-one. All the mem- 
bers of the family belong to the Lutheran church in 
Grand Forks. 

After coming to East Grand Forks he helped organ- 
ize school district No. 3 into an independent school 
and held office as director for seven years and treas- 
urer most of that time. 



OLE HENDRICKSON. 



Ilavmg helped to redeem large acreages of land 
from the wilderness and make them fruitful in pro- 
ductiveness and highly serviceable to mankind, Ole 
Hendrickson, for many years one of the leading farm- 
ers of Esther township, this county, has well earned 
the rest and leisure he is now enjoying in his life at 
Grand Forks, North Dakota, retired from all active 
pursuits except that of supervising the cultivation of 
the land he still owns, which comprises eighty acres 
in Higdem township and a half-section in Esther 
township, the former taken up as a homestead and 
the latter as a tree claim in 1878. 

Mr. Hendrickson was born in Sweden, July 27, 
1852, and in 1869 came to this country with his 
parents, Hendrick H. and Walborg Grubb, who lo- 
cated in Carver county, Minnesota, and passed two 
years there. At the end of that period the father took 
up a homestead in Renville county, where the family 
remained seven years. In 1878 they came to Polk 
county, and here the father obtained a pre-emption 
claim in Esther township, on which he died in May, 
1899, after transforming his wild claims into good 
farms. His children numbered three, Ole, his sister 
Betsy, who is now the widow of Ole Nilson and is 
living on her homestead in section 2, Esther town- 
ship, and their brother Henry. The last named took 
up a homestead in section 34, Higdem township, but 
later traded this for Ole's tree claim, on which Ole 
had proved up and planted a ten acre grove. In later 
years Henry worked his father's farm until he moved 
to California in 1902. He is now living at Orland in 
that state, and Ole A. Olson now owns his old tree 



claim farm and his father's farm in section 2, Esther 
township. 

After proving up on his homestead in 1902 Ole 
Hendrickson bought his half section in Esther town- 
ship two miles south of the old place, and he lived 
on it until he moved to Grand Forks, which he did 
in 1913. He made extensive improvements on the 
farm, draining out some lakes whereby he raised about 
fifty acres of valueless land to high productiveness. 
The draining cost him about $1,000, but the land it 
redeemed is now worth as much as the land is around 
there. Since he removed from the farm it has been 
operated by his son August Herman. 

Mr. Hendrickson was married in 1879 to Miss Ber- 
tha Halvorsen, of Renville county. They became the 
parents of seven children, one of whom, a son named 
Oscar Bernhart, died at the age of thirteen years. 
The living children are : Johann Wilhelm, who mar- 
ried Anna Olena Kleven and lives on his farm in 
section 13, Esther township. He served for a time 
on the school board in Higdem township. Henry, who 
married Ada Cornelia Dahl, lives on his homestead in 
Higdem township. August Herman lives on and cul- 
tivates his father's farm. Walborg Josephine is a 
mute. She passed four years being educated at a 
school for the deaf and dumb. Anna Maria is house- 
keeper for her brother August on the home farm. 
Hildah Christine and Olga Berthene are living with 
their father. The parents also have an adopted daugh- 
ter, Lilah Geneva, who is now four years old and 
whom they have had from her infancy. 

Ole Hendrickson served as township clerk for many 






384 



COMPENDIUM OP HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



years and as a member of the school board almost 
from the organization of the school district. He also 
served as treasurer, holding the office one year after 
his removal to Grand Forks, and was succeeded in 
it by his son August. He has been a member and one 
of the trustees of Kongsvinger Lutheran church, and 
president of its congregation, which he helped to or- 
ganize. For many years he was a Republican in pol- 
itics, but lately he has been independent, voting for 
men rather than in accord with partisan considera- 
tions. 

Both Mr. Hendrickson and his wife have had their 
share of hardships. During his first years of farming 



lie was obliged to use oxen as his motive power in aU 
his work. He had no capital and his father did not 
have over $500. In Renville county grasshoppers 
destroyed all their crops for two years. But his per- 
severance and pluck took him over all obstacles and 
through all difficulties until he compelled fate to 
yield him success. Mrs. Hendrickson, before her mar- 
riage did housework, toiling early and late and often 
doing men's as well as women's work, at a compensa- 
tion of .$1 a week. Her industry and good manage- 
ment in her own home were large factors in winning 
her husbaTid's prosperity. 



CHARLES ROSS. 



Charles Ross, of Fertile, a leading building con- 
tractor of the county and prominent citizen, was bom 
in Norway, October 7, 1865, and has conducted ex- 
tensive business operations in the count}' for nianj- 
years, handling individually the largest amount of 
work of any contractor. He located in Fertile in 
1893, having previously resided at Rej^nolds, and 
has continued to make his home there and at Crooks- 
ton with the exception of some nine months spent in 
his native land in 1904 and 1905. Mr. Ross has at- 
tained a notable efficiency in his profession and 
through the years of his able business activity has 
won the confidence and regard of all his associates by 
his integrity and skill. He is that type of man who, 
through their honest and genial personality, add to 
their attainments as business men and citizens, a 
wide circle of warm friends. He has erected many 
of the most substantial and pretentious buildings in 
the county, structures which are importantly noted 
among the architectural possessions of which this 



section boasts. Among his past contracts have been 
the Carnegie library, the Elks' home and numerous 
business blocks in Crookston, man}- of the homes in 
tlie attractive residence district of Fertile and the 
bank buildings in that place, which rank among the 
splendidly equipped and modem banking houses of 
northern jMinnesota. He is now engaged upon !he 
construction of the high school building at Fertile, 
which involves a .$27,000 contract and will be finished 
for occupancy in January of 1916. ilr. Ross employs 
as many as twenty-five men in his operations, work- 
ing to architects' plans, and personallj' supervises the 
work on every contract. Aside from his many pri- 
vate interests, Mr. Ross is actively associated with all 
matters of public moment and served for two years 
as a city commissioner of Fertile. He enjoys out- 
of-door sports and makes hunting his favorite recrea- 
tion. Mr. Ross is a member of the Elks lodge at 
Crookston. 



JOHN DRISCOLL. 



The late John Driscoll, who was an extensive land- 
holder in Polk county, one of the leading men and 
most active and influential citizens of his locality and 



a great force for progress and development, died 
tragically on September 26, 1907, when his dwelling 
house was destroyed by fire, and the mystery of his 




CHARLES ROSS 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



385 



deatli has uever been fully solved. His body was not 
consumed or injured in the fire but was found in a 
woodshed that the flames did not reach. No investi- 
gation of the case was ever made and the immediate 
cause of Mr. Driseoll's death has not yet been dis- 
closed. 

John Driscoll was bom in County Lanark, province 
of Ontario, Canada, January 14, 1855, and came to 
Polk county, Minnesota, and was soon joined by his 
older brother Jlichael, a sketch of whom, including 
the family history, will be found in this volume. John 
Driscoll entered a homestead soon after coming here 
on section 28, and in the course of a few years bought 
one-quarter of section 34, Sullivan township, for 
$1,500. A little later he paid $2,500 cash for 160 
acres in section 29, then paid $2,000 for another quar- 
ter section and later became the owner of more land. 
He sold some of his land and owned only one whole 
section at the time of his death. 

During his life Mr. Driscoll cultivated all the land 
he owned that was tillable and built all the improve- 
ments on it except the present dwelling house, which 
was erected by his widow in 1909, two years after 
the fire. Some years before his death he and his 
brother Michael began operating a threshing outfit, 
and they continued in this enterprise together until 
death ended his labors. He was also school director 
from the organization of the school district, and when 
he died was serving as a county commissioner, hav- 
ing been first elected to this office in 1904. He was an 
ardent Democrat in political relations and a very ener- 
getic and effective campaigner for the principles and 
candidates of his party. His religious connection was 



with the Catholic church of the Sacred Heart in East 
Grand Forks, in tlie service of wliich he was always 
effectively active. 

Mr. Driscoll Avas married in 1882 to Miss Nellie 
O'Brien, who was also a Canadian by nativity. She 
died young leaving one child, John J. Driscoll, who 
owns a farm in Sullivan township but is still a bach- 
elor. On March 3, 1886, at Grand Forks, the father 
contracted a second marriage which united him with 
Miss Catherine Enright, another Lanark county, On- 
tario, lady, who came to Grand Forks three years 
before her marriage with her parents, Michael and 
Catherine Enright. Mr. Enright took up a claim in 
Polk county but passed his remaining years mostly 
in East Grand Forks, where both he and his wife 
died. By his second marriage Mr. Driscoll became 
the father of five children, James Edward, Catherine, 
William, Anselm and Loretta. James Edward is a 
high school graduate and pursued a course of special 
training at a commercial college. He is now a book- 
keeper in a Grand Forks wholesale house. The other 
children are still living at home with their mother. 
They are all members of the church of the Sacred 
Heart. 

After the death of her husband Mrs. Driscoll as- 
sumed her great responsibility of rearing her children 
and caring for the property of the family. She built 
a new house in place of the old one, and it is one of 
the finest in the township. She has also directed the 
operations of the farm with great vigor and success 
and made them very profitable. She is a heroic lady 
and richly deserves the high and i;niversal esteem in 
which she is held. 



OSCAR ULVE. 



Owning a highly productive, well improved and 
pleasantly located farm in section 8, Sullivan town- 
ship, this county, seven miles northeast of East Grand 
Forks, which he has helped to make what it is, and 
standing well in the regard and good will of the peo- 
ple of his township, Oscar Ulve is as comfortably fixed 



in a worldly way as most men, and he has the satis- 
faction of knowing that all he has he has accumulated 
by his own efforts and good management. He was 
born in Grant county, Wisconsin, November 25, 1872, 
and first came to Polk county in 1891. He passed the 
summer of that year working for Andrew E. Odegard, 



386 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



theu returued to his native state, where he remained 
with his parents until 1898. April 1st of that year he 
came back to this county, and during the following 
winter he was employed on the farm where he had 
formerly worked. 

January 1, 1899, ]\Ir. Ulve began working for 
August Nelson on his farm in Sullivan township, 
with whom he remained for three years at a compen- 
sation of $22 to $26 a month in summer and less in 
winter. On November 13, 1901, he was united in 
marriage with Jliss Anna Olena Nelson, the oldest 
living daughter of his employer, who was born on 
her father's home farm and was in her twenty-first 
year at the time of her marriage. In April, 1902, 
he bought the farm on which he now lives, of ]Mrs. 
Annie N. Hotvedt and the Hotvedt heirs, but the house 
was not finished and the barn was built in May, 1910. 



Raising grain and live stock have been his prin- 
cipal industries. He keeps twenty-one head of cattle 
and millvs eight cows, all of good Shorthorn breeds. 
He has always taken a good citizen's part in the 
public affairs of his township, and has rendered it 
excellent service as supervisor for nine years, as 
clerk for some time and as treasurer of the school 
board for five years. Mr. Ulve has no children. He 
and his wife are active members of the Grand Marais 
Norwegian Lutheran church and take part in all its 
works of benevolence and whatever it does for the 
improvement of the community. His farm is one 
mile from the Marais. It was originally the home- 
stead of Nels Hotvedt, a brother of Peter A. Hotvedt, 
whose life story is briefly told on other pages of this 
volume. 



JOHN DAVIDSON. 



This prosperous and highly esteemed farmer of Polk 
county, who owns what is known as "The Sprague 
Farm," taking the name from its former owner, but 
which might appropriately be called "White Oak 
Farm," has one of the most attractive and valuable 
country homes in the section of the county in which 
it is located. It lies on the Marais river, in section 5, 
Fisher township, four miles northwest of Fisher, and 
contains 472 acres. Mr. Davidson bought it in 1915, 
and has since made many improvements on it. 

Mr. Davidson was born in County Carleton, prov- 
ince of Ontario, Canada, November 15, 1859, and came 
to Minnesota in 1879. He had former friends and 
neighbors in his native place here, the members of 
the Driscoll family, and he took a pre-emption claim 
in Nesbit township and proved up on it at $1.25 an 
acre. He built a shanty on his claim and broke up 
forty acres of the land, working out for the neighbors 
while he did this. In 1880 he went to Grand Forks 
county, North Dakota, and took up a homestead, and 
in that county he remained until 1896, sixteen years, 
acquiring the ownership of one quarter-section of land 
there, which he cultivated in grain. 



In 1896 he returned to Minnesota and bought all 
of section 27, in Sullivan township, this county, pay- 
ing $26 an acre for it. The farm was already im- 
proved, but the new owner built a new house on it, 
erected a silo and made other improvements, putting 
up several miles of fencing, and seeded the land in 
timothy grass. For a number of years he kept a good 
deal of live stock, raising and fattening cattle for the 
markets. In 1914 he sold his Sullivan township farm 
at $60 an acre for the whole section, and the next year 
he bought his present farm, which cost him about the 
same rate per acre. 

The farm contains about sixty acres of timber and 
is well watered. As soon as he took possession of it 
Mr. Davidson began to rebuild and repair on an ex- 
tensive scale, and he has greatly improved the prop- 
erty in this way. He has sunk a weU 150 feet deep, 
which supplies him with soft water for his stock, his 
domestic use and all other desired purposes. He is 
now giving a great deal of attention to diversified 
farming and stock raising. 

Mr. Davidson was married August 1, 1889, in Grand 
Forks county, North Dakota, to Miss Mary Manson, 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



387 



who was boru iu Renfrew county, Ontario, and moved 
to North Dakota. They have nine children, Claude, 
William, Ethel, Pearl and Viola (twins), Ella, George, 
Florence and Stanley. Ethel is a saleslady in a 
jewelry store in Grand Forks. Pearl is a telegraph 



operator iu the Western Union Office in the same city. 
Viola is a teacher in the schools of Kittson county, 
Minnesota. She pursued a course in normal training 
at the State Normal school iu Crookston. The rest 
of the children are liviug at home with their parents. 



ELLING T. DOKKEN. 



Among the progressive and enterprising fanners 
and public-spirited citizens of Tynsid township, Polk 
county, Minnesota, none has ever stood higher in the 
esteem and good will of the people than the late EUing 
T. Dokken, who departed this life on his farm in that 
township November 10, 1910, at the age of sixty-eight 
years, one month and nineteen days, after a residence 
of some thirty-nine years iu that township, during all 
of which he was devoted to its welfare and zealous in 
promoting its progress and development. 

Mr. Dokken was born at Hoi Hallingdal, Norway, 
September 22, 1842, and grew to manhood and was 
educated in that country, where he remained until 
late in the sixties, when he emigrated to the United 
States and located in Worth county, Iowa. In 1871 
he moved to Polk county, Minnesota, and pre-empted 
160 acres of land in section 36, Tynsid township, and 
on this land and the additions he made to his tract 
by subsequent purchases he passed the remainder of 
his days. He owned 270 acres at the time of his death, 
all under cultivation and the farm improved with good 
buildings, the result of his ability and industry as a 
farmer and his judicious management as a business 
man. 

The trip from Iowa was made with ox teams and 



covered wagons and the party consisted of a number 
of families from the same neighborhood in Worth 
county, Iowa. The joui-ney consumed several weeks 
and while there were no real dangers encountered en- 
route they experienced all the hardships and priva- 
tions incident to pioneer life. 

Mr. Dokken was among the first settlers iu the 
township and a picture of his early home erected iu 
1878 is still in possession of the family. 

Mr. Dokken was married in Clayton county, Iowa, 
on April 2, 1878, to Miss Ingrid Houg, who was born 
in that county October 24, 1853, of Norwegian par- 
ents, and lived there until her marriage to Mr. Dok- 
ken. They had six children, only two of whom are 
living: Minnie S., who still has her home with her 
mother, and Thilda, who is the wife of Knute Eriek- 
son, a resident of Tynsid township. The deceased 
children all died in infancy except a daughter named 
Lena, whose death occurred when she was twenty- 
seven years of age. Mrs. Dokken conducted the farm 
after her husband's death until the spring of 1915, 
since when it has been operated by her son-in-law, 
Knute Erickson. As was her husband, she is an active 
and zealous member of the Sand Hill Free church. 



HANS HANSON. 



The late Hans Hanson, for many years one of the 
leading farmers of Esther township, this county, 
whose useful life ended on August 13, 1908, was born 
in Norway April 13, 1834. He was married near Dui'- 
ham, Wisconsin, to Miss Caroline Eliza Johanson, who 
was also a native of Europe. She died at the age of 
thirty leaving four children, only one of whom, how- 



ever, grew to maturity. This was a daughter named 
Carrie, who was born April 15, 1872, at Brainerd, 
Minnesota, and was six years old when her mother 
died before they had been on the farm one whole year. 
She is now the wife of Frank E. Nelson and lives on 
her father's old homestead. 

Mr. Hanson had been engaged in various lines of 



388 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



work and business at Brainerd, in Duluth and in Win- 
nipeg, and in 1877 made a trip up the Red river on 
one of the Hudson Bay steamers under Captain 
Griggs. He was pleased with the outlook in this sec- 
tion and chose the farm on which he afterward lived 
and labored until his death. His first 160 acres is 
located half a mile from tlie Red river and fourteen 
miles by road north of Grand Forks. He later added 
a tract of eighty acres, making liis farm 240 acres all 
in one body. He built a log cabin, the first shack put 
up in a radius of six miles, although he soon had a 
few neighbors. But for two or three years he was 
obliged to work out at farm labor to get the common 
necessaries of life. His wife's illness caused him to 
spend all the money he had and when he landed at 
Grand Forks he carried all his earthly possessions on 
his back. Fisher was then the terminus of the rail- 
road. 

j\Ir. Hanson's daughter soon became his house- 
keeper, and her work as such was her education. She 
had no opportunity to go to school. Her father, too, 
gave himself up wholly to his home duties, taking no 
part in anything outside except the Synod Lutheran 
church, of which he was an active and serviceable 
member. His remains were buried in a graveyard at 
the schoolhouse standing on his own land, and which 
he had donated for the purpose. 

Miss Carrie Hanson, the daughter of Hans, was 
married November 25, 1892, to Frank E. Nelson, who 



was born in Sweden April 21, 1869, and came to the 
United States in 1887. He journeyed direct to Polk 
county, where his father, John P. Nelson, a brother 
of August Nelson, had settled five years before. John 
P. Nelson was a carpenter and pas.sed the rest of his 
life in this county, dying January 1, 1907. Frank 
was only seventeen when he arrived here, but he at 
once went to work at farming and railroad gi-ading, 
going as far west as Montana in liis grading opera- 
tions. He has canned on the Hanson farm since his 
marriage, and has bought 240 acres adjoining it, so 
tliat he now has 480 acres all in one body, about 
seventy-five acres being in timber. 

Mr. Nelson's principal products are wheat, oats and 
barley, and in 1915 he raised over 9,000 bushels of 
these cereals. He also milks eight cows generally for 
butter to supply a lively trade among private cus- 
tomers. His cattle are Shorthorns, and of good 
.strains. The buildings on his farm are good and the 
property is a veiy desirable and valuable one. He 
has taken an active part in township affairs, serving 
ou the township board six years, and he has now been 
school clerk for three years. He and his wife are the 
parents of seven children, all of whom are living at 
home. They are John Henry, Elof, Albert, Arthur, 
Lizzie, Florence and Clifford. They also took in Lillie 
Halvorson at the age of six years and have reared 
her as their own child. She still abides with them as 
a member of their family circle. 



N. J. NELSON. 



N. J. Nelson, cashier of the First State bank at 
East Grand Forks and prominent citizen, is widely 
known through the county as a progressive business 
man who measures his success by the development and 
prosperity attending the community in which he lives. 
Mr. Nelson is a native son of the state, bom in Good- 
hue county, March 15, 1867. His early life was spent 
on a farm and his business career was initiated as a 
traveling salesman. In 1891 he located in Crookston 
which was his home until 1906 when he removed to 



East Grand Forks. As cashier of the First State 
bank of that city, he is in active charge of the affaii-s 
of that popular institution and through his policy of 
capable and far seeing administration is also identi- 
fied with the important interests of civic and commer- 
cial circles. He has particularly given his attention 
and cooperation to the advancement of the agricul- 
tural enterprises of the region and in recognition of 
his services holds the office of county director of the 
Red River Valley Development association. Aside 



COMPENDIUM OP HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



389 



from, his business activities he takes an active interest 
in civic affairs and has given six years of able service 
as alderman and is also a valued member of the board 
of education. He is a member of the Republican 
party. Mr. Nelson was married in 1894 to Bertha S. 
Langford, of Dodge Center, Minnesota, and they have 
two children, Walter L. and Winifred. Mrs. Nelson 
is well known in the club and church circles of the 
city and is a member of the Baptist church. Not only 



is Mr. Nelson the cashier of one of Polk county 's most 
substantial financial institutions but he was the organ- 
izer as well and has thoroughly worked into its char- 
acter his theory of cooperative benefit which makes it 
one of the strongest banks in the county today. The 
bank is located in a fine building with every modern 
facility, which stands as a credit to civic pride as well 
as to the enterprise of the directors of the institution. 



THOMAS NISBET (Deceased). 



Thomas Nisbet, whose death occurred at his city 
home in Grand Forks on the 18th of August, 1914, 
was one of the worthy makers of Polk county having 
come to it when it was practicallj' all a wilderness, 
with a choice of where he should secure a home. 

He was born in Sherbrook, Countj- Lanark, Ontario, 
December 24, 1843, and was the fourth of several 
brothers to come to Polk county, of whom David was 
the first. James, of whom further mention is made 
elsewhere, followed, Robert and Tliomas coming in 
turn. Of these David died about 1880, a bachelor, in 
middle life, and was buried in Nisbet Cemetery, which 
was named in his honor. Their mother Christena also 
died here at an advanced age. One daughter Chris- 
tena was the wife of James Lee, and another, Mar- 
garet, married James Gilmore, both now being 
deceased. 

Thomas Nisbet was married in Winona county, Min- 
nesota, December 30, 1871, to Miss Janet Robertou, 
cousin of James Robei-ton of Hunstville township. 
She was also born in County Lanark and as a child 
was brought to Winona county, where her parents 
remained till death. One of her brothers, Joseph Rob- 
erton was for several years a resident of Huntsville, 
dying some twenty-four years since. 

Mr. Nisbet was a blacksmith by trade, working as 
such about eight years before marriage in Winona 
county, and so continued at Mallory finally operating 
a shop on his farm, his preference being to work at 
the forge rather than on the farm. 



He secured railroad land at $7 per acre, securing 
the usual rebate for that part put into cultivation. 
He became the owner of 400 acres which comprises 
the present fine home of James Cummings, and which 
was drained by the Marais, making it a vei'y desirable 
tract, especially when natural drainage was depended 
upon. When Joseph Roberton died, his farm was also 
purchased by Mr. Nisbet making 640 acres of which 
he was proprietor, even after selling the original 
home. 

Leaving the farm, he operated a shop in Mallory, 
two miles distant, for twelve years, when he retired 
to Grand Forks, although he continued to supervise 
the operation of his lands. 

He was chosen township treasurer for several years 
and was a member of the Town Board. He was a 
stanch Republican and was once candidate for county 
commissioner. 

Mr. Nisbet was an enthusiastic Mason, having been 
made one by Tom Morriss, ex-mayor of Crookston. 
He took practically all the work of the fraternity in- 
cluding both lines — the York and the Scottish Rite, 
being one of very few in Polk county who were ad- 
vanced to the thirty-second degree. He frequently 
attended the National Conclaves, and attained a great 
local reputation as a lodge worker, being specially 
well fitted by temperament and physique to carry the 
work of the third degree, the character of Jubal Um 
being one that he appeared in almost to perfection. 

His family are four — Ada E., at home; William G., 



390 



CO:\lPEXDIUi[ OK HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



wlio superintends the farm and has two children, 
Janet Olive and Keith Horace; Jennie F., at home 
and May T., wife of Frank Hankey of Grand Forks. 
Few men who have lived in Polk county had a larger 
circle of warm friends than Jlr. Nisbet. He was large 



of body and of mind and possessed to a great degree 
those qualities of head and heart, coupled with aflfabil- 
ity, enthusiasm and optimism that not only made him 
an ideal citizen but also a valued friend and 
companion. 



CHRISTOPHER H. EVJE. 



Christopher H. Evje, a successful farmer of Eden 
township, is a native of Norway, born November 12, 
1843. He was reared on a farm and spent his early 
manhood in his home land and was there married to 
Engeborg Sophia Novesta. But ambitious to secure 
a home in the western land across the sea, in 1886, he 
brought his wife and six children to the United States. 
His savings enabled him to purchase all but one pas- 
sage and for this he had to borrow funds. He fii-st 
located in Norman county, ilinnesota, where for two 
years he worked at farm labor and in 1889 removed 
to Polk county which has since been his home. His 
farm had been the homestead of Hans Thompson, who 
died in 1888, leaving his interest in the place to the 
wife of Mr. Evje. It was located in section 21 of Eden 
township, a little over thirteen miles northeast of 
Fosston and near the old Indian reservation ; no land 
had been cleared but a small log house stood on the 
tract and was the first home of the Evje family and is 
now included in the construction of the living room 
of the present comfortable home. Mr. Evje has put 
eighty-five of the one hundred and fifty acres in cul- 
tivation and has added an additional forty acres to 
his estate. He has engaged in grain raising and dairy 
farming, keeping about ten dairy cows. He has de- 



voted every effort to the development of his farm and 
with noteworthy ability and skillful management has 
built up one of the best country homes as well as 
one of the model properties of the county, directing 
all his operations along progressive lines and includ- 
ing the modern improvements in his equipment. In 
1907 he erected a large barn. Although Mr. Evje has 
never acquired the use of the language of his adopted 
country, he is a wide-awake and public spirited citi- 
zen, interested in public matters and well informed on 
the questions of the day. He is a stockholder in 
Farmers store company at Fosston and in the cooper- 
ative creamery at Olga, one mile south of his place. 
His wife died, January 14, 1902, and is survived by 
Mr. Evje and ten children, Hans, who operates the 
home farm ; Dina, the wife of Erick Nyborg, a neigh- 
boring farmer; Tobine, who married Ole Engebret- 
son and lives at Cleai-brook, Minnesota ; Tonnes, en- 
gag'-..-^ in farming in White Earth : Carl, a farmer of 
Eden township ; Clunstine, the wife of Harry Boon 
of White Earth ; Clara, who is in charge of her 
father's home and Herman, John and Tenny. One 
daughter, Gjertine Evje, died when twenty-three years 
of age. She was the wife of Bronnel Bronnelson. Mv. 
Evje is a member of the Zion Lutheran church. 



RICHARD ENRIGHT. 



After a busy and successful business life, the results 
of which have made him one of the most substantial 
citizens of Polk county, Richard Enright is now en- 
joying the fruits of energy in rather a retired condi- 
tion, though not by any means having entirely laid 
aside attention to business details. 



He was born near Almont, Ontario, and grew to 
manhood near Port Sarnia, coming to Grand Forks in 
1877 to seek employment. James E. Sullivan was 
his first employer and he worked for two months, in 
1877, on the farm of John O'Brien and for others. The 
next j^ear after his own coming, he was followed by 




iiliOWX nrcKSTAO 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POUC COUNTY 



391 



his parents, Dennis and Catherine (O'Neill) Enright, 
and their eight sons and two danghtei's. Of these, 
John is a ranchman in California ; Thomas lives in 
Sullivan township ; Dennis J. is also in California ; 
Jerry is in Alberta as is also James. William was 
drowned in the Red river at the age of twenty-three ; 
Michael L. is a farmer of Huntsville; Edward F. is 
an employe of the Arneson Mercantile company, while 
Mary Ann was the wife of Thomas Mason, who came 
to the county in 1879, and both of whom are since 
deceased. Maggie became the wife of George Tinkler 
and lives in western Canada. 

The father liought the homestead, where his son 
Michael L. now lives, to which he added at various 
times till he owned upwards of 1,000 acres lying along 
the Red Lake river a few miles from East Grand 
Forks. For several years, in fact till his death in 
1886, the sons all remained at home, the operations 
being carried on an extensive scale. The widow con- 
tinued, with the younger sons, to manage the farm, 
however she finally retired to the city, where she 
passed away October 18, 1906. 

In 1880 Richard was married to Johanna Forn, and 
at once assumed charge of his own farm. In about 
one year thereafter he had the misfortune to lose his 



companion, when he rented the farm, which he origin- 
ally bought as railroad land. He began to add more 
land when it could be had from the railroad com- 
pany at about $6 per acre. His operations were more 
than usually successful, investing in land as opportun- 
ity offered till he possessed six quarter sections or 960 
acres in one body, all lying in Huntsville township. 
Generally this has been operated by tenants, Mr. En- 
right giving more personal attention to making and 
keeping up improvements. 

Five years ago he decided to dispose of his lands, 
since when he has made some investments in Cali- 
fornia, although much of his present business interests 
are in farm loans. No man has had greater faith in 
the future of the Red river valley, in every phase of 
whose development he has taken an active part, being 
ever an ardent advocate of a system of farming that 
tends to greater production and increase in valua- 
tion. He has rather kept aloof from public life, but 
has yielded to the extent of serving the township as 
Supervisor for some fifteen years. He has ever stood 
for better living conditions and it is not a little to the 
efforts of such men that East Grand Forks is now fast 
faking its place among the better residence towns of 
the Red river valley. 



BROWN DUCKSTAD. 



One of the leading pioneers, business men and pro- 
moters of the village of Fertile, and for years a 
valued public official in various capacities. Brown 
Duckstad has contributed much to the improvement 
and benefit of the land and locality of his adoption, 
and he has also embraced, greatly to his own advan- 
tage, the opportunities it has offered him for his own 
progress in a material way and along lines of social 
and political influence and consequence. 

Mr. Duckstad is a native of Norway, where his life 
began December 6, 1865, and where he was reared to 
the age of nineteen and obtained his education. In 
the spring of 1884 he came to the United States and at 
once to Polk county, Minnesota, where he has ever 



since resided. During the first five years of his resi- 
dence in this county he was employed as a farm hand, 
working hard, living frugally and saving his earn- 
ings to enable him to begin at the earliest practicable 
time the business career to which he was steadily 
looking forward. 

In 1889 he located at Fertile and opened the hard- 
ware store which he is still condiicting there. His 
business was started on a small scale, but by enter- 
prise, close attention to eveiy detail and excellent 
business capacity he has steadily expanded his trade 
and enlarged his operations until he is now one of 
the leading merchants in the part of the county in 
which he lives. His trade soon outgrew its first 



392 



CO.MPENDIU.M OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OB^ POLK COUNTY 



meager facilities and he was obliged to provide for 
its growth by erecting the comiuodious and substan- 
tial building in which his store is now located. He 
has also kept up his interest in agricultural pui'suits 
and now owns about 1,200 acres of land in the vicin- 
ity of Fertile, and he is also vice president of the First 
State Bank of Fertile and of the Fertile Brick and 
Tile company. 

Although he has never for a day neglected his own 
business or the claims of dutj^ to himself and his 
family, Mr. Duckstad has also at times taken an 
active and helpful part in the public affairs of his 
community and county, and the people have had the 
benefit of his integrity, ability and good judgment 
in the administration of several local ofRees. He was 
postmaster at Fertile from 1898 to 1907, and at dif- 
ferent times has also filled other positions with credit 



to himself and advantage to the people. His political 
affiliation has always been with the Republican party 
and his church connection with the congregation of 
Synod Lutheran church. 

Mr. Duckstad was first married at Fertile in 1889 
to Miss Bertha Skime, who was, like himself, a native 
of Norw^ay. She died in 1901. They were the parents 
of seven children, three of whom are living, Benjamin, 
Lisa and John. Benjamin is a graduate of the West 
Point United States Military Academy and a lieu- 
tenant in the United States army. In 1903 Mr. 
Duckstad contracted a second marriage, uniting him- 
self with Miss Sophia Skime, who was born in Iowa. 
They have six children, Norman, Volbarg, Volter, 
Sylvia, Paul and Eleanor. The family stands well in 
the community and richly deserves the general esteem 
bestowed upon its members. 



THEODORE A. THOMPSON. 



During all of the last eleven years Theodore A. 
Tiiompson, who is now a resident of Crookston, has 
rendered the people of Polk county excellent service 
in their register of deeds' office, and for seven years 
of the period has been the register, filling the position 
of deputy register for the first four j'ears of his con- 
nection with the office. Before he went into that 
office, however, he had a useful and prosperous career, 
in which he showed his mettle. He was born at 
Waseca, Minnesota, September 20, 1871, and is the 
son of Ole and Betse.y ( Aniundson) Thompson, natives 
of Norway. 

The mother came to this country about 1860, when 
she was eleven years old, and the father in 1866. They 
were married at Black Earth, Wisconsin, and moved 
to this county in 1888, locating on a homestead in 
Hill River township, which the father selected at the 
time. He was a .slioemaker and worked at his trade 
in Crookston ten years, during a part of which time 
he was the manager of a shoe store. He died in North 
Yakima, Washington, and the mother passed away 
on the farm. The family lived on that farm a long 
time and still owns it. 



Seven children were born and reared to maturity 
in the household. Anna B., who is now living at home, 
has been a teacher in the Polk county schools and a 
stenographer. Lewis passed his life on the farm and 
died there at the age of thirty-nine. Tilda was also 
a Polk county teacher. She died unmarried in 1908. 
Louise, a school teacher and stenographer in this 
countj^ is also now living at home. Emma, who died 
at the age of twenty-one, also taught in Polk county 
schools, and Oscar B. is operating the old family 
homestead. 

Theodore A. Thompson spent ten years on the home- 
stead. He was seventeen when the family took pos- 
session of it and had just been graduated from the 
high school at Waseca, and he began his career in this 
county by teaching Public School No. 120 in King 
township, near Mcintosh. He continued teaching 
ten years, still living on the home farm, and during 
two years of the time was also interested in a mer- 
chandising enterprise in Mcintosh. In 1898 he be- 
came assistant cashier of the Citizens Bank at Mcin- 
tosh, and this position he held continuously for six 
years. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



393 



On January 1, 1905, Mr. Thompson was appointed 
deputy register of deeds by J. H. Stair, the register, 
and he served the county in this capacity until Jan- 
uary 1, 1909, when he took over the office of register, 
to which he was elected in the fall of 1908, being the 
nominee of the Republican party. He was re-elected 
in 1910 without opposition, and again in 1912 and 
1914, the last time for a term of four yeai-s, accord- 
ing to the provisions of a law passed by the legislature 
of 1913. He employs three assistants in the office, 
and it turns over to the county annually, after all its 
expenses are paid, an average revenue of about $2,500. 



Mr. Thompson was married in 1901 to Miss Caro- 
line M. Jensen, of Brandsvold township, this county, 
where her father, Peter C. Jensen, now deceased, set- 
tled in 1888, coming to Polk county from Wisconsin. 
Mrs. Thompson was a teacher in Polk county three 
years prior to her marriage. She and her husband 
have had five children, one of whom died in infancy. 
Those who are living are Harlow B., Florence Lucille, 
Kenneth F. and Marjorie A. The parents are mem- 
bers of the English Lutheran church, of which Mr. 
Thompson is secretary. He is well known through- 
out the county and very popular. 



ERICK ELLINGSON. 



During the last four years Erick Ellingson, head 
of the firm of Ellingson & Groven, hardware and farm 
implement merchants, has been a stimulus and an in- 
spiration to business activities in and around the vil- 
lage of Mentor, Grove Park township, this county, and 
has fully justified the rank he holds as one of the 
township's leading business men. He was born in 
Green county, Wisconsin, September 27, 1864, and 
was reared and educated there. In the spring of 1909 
he moved to Alexandria, Minnesota, and during the 
next three years he was occupied in farming near that 
town. 

Farming failed to meet all the requirements of Mr. 
Ellingson 's desires, and in the spring of 1912 he 
changed his residence to Mentor and his pursuit to 
mercantile activity. He formed a partnership with 
Olof M. Groven at that time, and since then they have 
carried on a flourishing and growing business under 



the firm name of Ellingson & Groven as dealers in 
shelf and heavy hardware, furniture, stoves and 
ranges, farm implements, threshing machines, harness, 
horse furnishings and other articles of general mer- 
chandise, conducting their operations with studious 
attention to the needs of the community and the com- 
fort and satisfaction of their patrons. 

Mr. Ellingson was married in Green county, Wis- 
consin, April 11, 1906, to Miss Emma Anderson, who 
was born in Minnesota and reared in Wisconsin. They 
have four children, Marion G., Goldie T., Charlotte 
N. 0. and Russell K. The father of the family is a 
member of the village council of Mentor and clerk of 
the local school board, and is highly esteemed as one of 
the most useful residents of the township. He and his 
wife are active and valued members of the United 
Lutheran church. 



GEORGE J. FLATEN. 



Deprived in part of his left hand in a hunting ac- 
cident at the age of eighteen years, the subsequent 
career of George J. Flaten, the able, industrious and 
conscientious treasurer of Polk county, has been 
largely shaped by that occurrence. It seemed like a 

cruel aflflictiou when it occurred, but it has led him to 
25 



lines of work for which he is especially fitted and to 
a position at length for which he seems to have been 
destined. He was born in Goodhue county, Minne- 
sota, November 4, 1876, the son of J. J. and Anna 
(Brandsvold) Flaten, who now live in Garden town- 
ship, this county, five miles east of Fertile, on a home- 



394 



COMPENDimr OV HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COLWTY 



stead which was taken up by the father in 1880. The 
lather is a native of Norway who came to this country 
and located in Goodliue county, Minnesota, soon after 
the Civil war. The mother is a cousin of Knute 
Brandsvold, in whose honor Brandsvold township in 
this county was named, and who now lives at Dalton, 
]\Iinnesota. 

George J. Flaten grew to manhood on his father's 
farm, remaining there until he reached the age of 
twenty-three, and was educated in the district schools 
and at Concordia college in Moorhead, in which he 
pursued a special course of commercial training. In 
1900 he was appointed a clerk in the office of County 
Treasurer ]\Iartin G. Peterson, and was continued in 
his position under Treasurer W. L. Vannet, holding 
it for six years. In November, 1908, he was elected 
county treasurer, taking the office on January 1, 1909, 



and he has been re-elected at the end of every term 
since, in the fall of 1914 for a term of four years iu 
accordance with the provisions of a law passed by 
the legislature in 1913. He was the nominee of the 
Republican party in 1908, 1910 and 1912, and a non- 
partisan candidate in 1914. 

Mr. Flaten is wholly devoted to his official duties 
and gives eveiy phase and detail of them his personal 
attention. He employs one deputy, who is Miss Sophia 
Stromstad. He also owns a grain farm near Harold 
Station, but that is cultivated by a tenant. On Decem- 
ber 24, 1903, he was married to Miss Grace Lothe, of 
Wisconsin. They have no children. Both belong to 
the English Lutheran church and are active in its 
service. Fraternally Mr. Flaten is a Fx'eemason and 
a member of the Order of Elks. 



G. H. SANBER6. 



This enterprising, progressive, broad-minded and 
highly capable superintendent of the public schools 
of Crookston acquired his knowledge of school work 
and success in directing it by long experience in the 
school room and thoughtful and observant study of 
its requirements. He was born in Scott county, Alin- 
nesota. May 1, 1873, the son of Swedish parents who 
came to the United States and settled in Carver 
county, Minnesota, in the early fifties. The father 
was a blacksmith and worked at his trade in Carver 
county and at Blakely, this state, where he and his 
family located in 1870, the parents having been mar- 
ried in Carver county. The father died at Blakely 
but the mother is still living and has her home at Le 
Sueur, Minnesota. 

The son was graduated from the Mankato State 
Normal school in 1897 after completing its most ad- 
vanced course of instruction. He has also taken work 
in the College of Education at North Dakota State 
University. He was president of his class at the nor- 
mal school, and he has passed all of his subsequent 
years since his graduation in the school room. He 



was principal of the graded school at Bellingham, 
Minnesota, four years, and was then superintendent 
of Bird Island high school, with eight to ten teach- 
ers under his direction, seven years. The next six 
years he passed as superintendent of the schools at 
Wiudom, with twenty teachers to direct. 

In June, 1914, without any solicitation on his part, 
he was selected as superintendent of the schools in 
Crookston. The school board sent out a committee 
to investigate the work of several superintendents 
who were not candidates for the office it had to fill, 
and on the report of the committee the board volun- 
tarily offered Mr. Sanberg the position. He has con- 
ducted teachers' summer training schools for nine 
years, and been active in all teachers' organizations. 
For a time he was president of the Southern Minne- 
sota Teachers' association which meets annually at 
IVIankato. He also was largely instrumental in reor- 
ganizing the Northern Minnesota Teachers' associa- 
tion. 

Mr. Sanberg is a member of the Methodist Episco- 
pal church and very active in all its benevolent and 



COMPENDIUM OP HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POL.K COUNTY 



395 



improving activities, especially its Sunday school 
work. He was married at Garden City, Minnesota, 
in 1897, to Miss Berda M. McBride, a native of that 
place and a teacher of music. They have six children, 
Ruth, Beatrice, Keith, Glenn, Wilbur and Marion. 



Mr. Sauberg is a Freemason of the Past Master's rank, 
having served as Worshipful Master of the Lodge at 
Bird Island, Minnesota. He usually passes his vaca- 
tions in outing camps, and is highly favorable to ath- 
letic games when they are propei'ly supervised. 



WILLIAM T. NICHOLSON. 



Coming in daily contact with the residents of 
Crookston as assistant postmaster of the city during 
the last fourteen years, and winning their high and 
lasting regard by his ability and devotion to duty, 
William T. Nicholson has shown traits of admirable 
manhood and citizenship which fully justify the good 
opinion the people have of him. He was born in 
County Simcoe, province of Ontario, Canada, Jan- 
uary 2, 1862, and was reared in County Grey of that 
province. On January 22, 1888, he emigrated to this 
country and located in Crookston, where he had 
friends living. 

Mr. Nicholson's first employment here was as a 
school teacher, and this lasted three years. He first 
taught the school in District No. 105, near Gentilly, 
and then had a berth in the Central building in 
Crookston. During the next six years he was a fire- 
man and during the succeeding four an engineer on 
the Great Northern railroad, running between Crooks- 
ton and Grand Forks. In 1902 he was appointed as- 
sistant postmaster by Postmaster Andrew Eiken, with 
whom he served two years. He next served under 
Postma.ster Elias Steenerson nine years, and since 
then has been as.sistant to Postmaster C. L. Skoug. 



He is a member of the state and national Assistant 
Postmasters' associations, and is wholly occupied with 
the duties of his ofSce. He belongs to the Methodist 
Episcopal church, of which he is a trustee, and was 
superintendent of its Sunday school four years, suc- 
ceeding in that position a man who had held it twenty- 
five years, and he has himself been in the school as 
teacher and superintendent twenty-six years. In all 
church and social work he takes an active and serv- 
iceable part. 

On November 1, 189.3, Mr. Nicholson w'as married to 
Miss Rachel Nicholson, who is a daughter of John 
Nicholson, a pioneer in Crookston, who settled here 
in 1879. The daughter was born in Ontario, Canada, 
but was reared in Crookston. She is president of the 
Ladies' Aid society of the Methodist Episcopal church. 
She and Mr. Nicholson are the parents of four chil- 
dren : Marietta, who is a graduate of the high school 
and State Normal school in Moorhead and is now a 
teacher at Lake Park, Minnesota; Harry, who is a 
student at Hamline University, in St. Paul ; Sadie,, 
who is a graduate of the Crookston high school of the 
class of 1916, and Walter. 



N. A. THORSON. 



N. A. Thorson, the present county superintendent 
of schools, was born in Nicollet county of this state 
December 22, 1881. He claims the county poor farm 
as his birth-place, where his father was then siiperin- 
tendent. Many of the older inmates of the poor farm 
were persons of considerable leisure and they con- 
tributed a great deal to the early rearing of the sub- 



ject of this sketch. With them he went fishing, boat- 
ing and berry-picking, and played with the home-made 
toys which they so generously supplied. 

With his parents and the family of five children he 
moved to Winthrop Minnesota, in 1887, where later 
he spent many years of his life working on his father's 
farm. In 1898 he entered a secondary school at St. 



396 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



Peter, Minnesota, from wliieh he graduated in 1900. 
In the fall of the same year he entered Gustavus 
Adolphus College at that place from which institution 
he graduated and received the degree of A. B. in 1904. 
During the spring of his graduating year, he was 
chosen by his college to take part in a state oratorical 
contest in which he later won the right to represent 
the state in the interstate contest at Springfield, Illi- 
nois, the same summer. Upon his return he attended 
the summer session at the Maukato Normal School. 
The same fall he was engaged to teach at Crookston 
and during his connection with the high school at that 
place for four years he taught principally the sciences 
and mathematics. He attended the University of Min- 
nesota during the summer of 1905 and the following 
year was a member of a group of teachers who en- 
rolled for the first summer training course at the 
St. Anthony School of Agriculture. He built and 
operated the first wireless telegraphy outfit wit- 
nessed in Crookston. He also served as athletic 
director of the high school and together with other 
school anthorities in the Valley labored to place 



athletics among the schools on a high standard. In 
the fall of 1908 he taught for a short time under 
Sui)t. Wni. Robertson at the Crookston School of 
Agriculture. The same year Mr. Thorson entered 
the race for county superintendent of schools of 
Polk county and has now served his constituents 
seven years. During this time he has tried to sys- 
tematize the work of the common schools and has 
always stood for progressiveness in educational work. 
He has given his support to industrial movements in 
the county by inducing the pupils in the schools to en- 
gage in practical home and school projects. 

Mr. Thorson has served on the State Teachers' 
Reading Circle Board for a number of years and is 
at present secretary of this organization. He is also 
a member of several musical organizations, including 
the English Lutheran Church Quartet, the Viking 
Chorus and the Citizens' Band of Crookston. 

In 1913 he was married to Miss Sarali Rollefson of 
Montevideo, Minnesota, and their marriage has been 
lilessed with two children, Sue and Paul. 



ANDREW M. MALMBERG. 



Among those who came to Polk county, while it was 
still in its primitive condition, is he whose name 
heads this article, and who is looked upon by those 
who know him as one whose efforts did much toward 
the making of the county. After many years of 
industrj', during which he became financially inde- 
pendent, he is now living in retirement in Crookston, 
the operation of his large farm being in the hands of 
his sons. 

Mr. Malmberg was born in Sweden March 8, 1842, 
and came to America in 1866, securing work in the 
harvest field near Davenport, Iowa. That fall he came 
to Red Wing, Minnesota, and the following spring be- 
gan work on the grade of the Hastings & Dakota 
Railroad, when it was first started at Hastings. The 
next four years were spent in farm labor near St. 
Paul, and in 1870 he assisted in the construction of 



the Northern Pacific road west from Braiiicrd so con- 
tinuing till the road was built through to Moorhead. 

While working at Glyndon he was induced to take 
a preemption on a tract of land close to that village, 
which, being the junction point was thought would 
become quite an important place. 

In the spring of 1872 in company with others he 
came to the Red Lake River country, it being said to 
surpass in fertility other sections of the country. He 
was pleased with it and at once secured a homestead 
some eight miles west of Crookston along the Red 
Lake River two miles southeast of Fisher. He also 
secured similar tracts for his brother and for a friend, 
Olof Erickson. But two or three others were there 
before him, so that he thus had his choice, and selected 
lands along the small creeks, which were lined with 
valuable timber. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



397 



He soon sold his Glyndon tract for $400, but with 
such payments that he derived little benefit from the 
sale. He hired a few acres broken out that first year, 
so that when he came the next year to make it his 
home, he had a small crop ; but there was no market 
and it was not sold but was stored in a bin in one cor- 
ner of his cabin and not sold till the next year, 1874, 
when it was part of the grain that loaded the first car 
ever purchased at Crookston. 

When the Great Northern Railroad was built 
through to Fisher's Landing (so named in honor of 
the superintendent of the road) a store was started by 
Hugh Thompson, to whom Mr. Malniberg sold much 
produce. There being no crossing of the river he ar- 
ranged a raft out of dry logs, which had been peeled 
for the bark when he built his cabin and this was the 
first means of getting farm produce to the market. 
He was active in all the first road making, and in fact 
every line of local improvement found him ready to 
do his part. 

He was one of the organizers of the township and 
was chosen supervisor, in which position he served 
for many years, as well as having been chosen to other 
local offices. 

He soon began to buy other lands, mainly of the 
railroad company at prices ranging from $8 to $10 
per acre. This was at a time when title of these lands 
was still in dispute and many would-be purchasei's 
were fearful of buying. He finally became the owner 
of four hundred acres of as fine land as there is in 
the state and which he converted into one of the really 
valuable farms of the county. In the early years he 



would get but small returns owing to frosts or water, 
but being so close to the river, his land was fairly well 
drained, and progress was satisfactory, he becoming 
one of the independent farmers, whose success came 
from faith in Polk county soil. 

His original cabin, covered with bark, was later 
much enlarged and became a convenient home, but 
which was totally destroyed by fire ; when he erected 
the present commodious country residence. 

In 1908 he turned the farm over to two sons, him- 
self buyinig a small farm on the river and but two 
miles west of Crookston, where he remained seven 
years, when he came into the city, where he has since 
lived in easy retirement, enjoying the fruits of a well- 
spent life. 

His marriage in St. Paul in 1872, to Miss Ellen 
Angdahl, who had come from Sweden at the age of 
fifteen, has resulted in the birth of four sons and one 
daughter. 

Oscar Albin and Carl Emil are partners in the 
operation of the old farm. William Haniel is one of 
the well known teachers of the county, having entered 
upon that work at the age of sixteen and so continued 
for several years. James Montaine and Ella Johanna 
complete the family, the latter being a successful 
music teacher and living at home. 

AVhile the life of Mr. Malmberg has not been filled 
with unusual events, it has carried a valued influence 
in shaping the affairs of liis community, and it is to 
such lives that the future historian will refer to learn 
of the details of empire building. 



DANIEL H. Mcdonald. 



This enterprising and progressive farmer and pub- 
lic-spirited citizen of Polk county, who is one of sev- 
eral members of the same family, lives at Davidson 
Station on the Northern Pacific railroad, sixteen miles 
and a half northwest of Crookston, in section 29, Nes- 
bit township, where he has redeemed from the wilder- 
ness and highly improved a large farm. He was born 



in County Frontenac, Province of Ontario, Canada, 
May 20, 1861, and came to Polk county in 1878, his 
brother, James McDonald, having come to Blue Earth 
county, this state, two j-ears before. He changed his 
residence to Polk county the next year, and is still 
living here, as will be seen in a sketch of him else- 
where in this history. 



^98 



COMPENDIU:\r OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COrXTY 



Daniel IT. McDonald is a son of Donald and Ellen 
(Hannah) McDonald. He bought eighty acres of his 
present farm from the railroad company at $5 an 
acre, with a rebate of $2.50 an acre for l)reaking three- 
fourths of it, and three years later was allowed 50 
cents an acre in addition for all he had under cultiva- 
tion. He worked out on other farms the first year but 
broke up eijjht acres of his own land although he had 
no buildings on it. In the winter he hauled wood. The 
next .year he rented for cash what he had plowed and 
broke up more, and so got twenty acres broken up in 
a short time. Soon afterward he bought the other 
half of the (piarter-section in which his land lies, and 
in four years he had 120 acres broken and got the 
rebate on it all. 

During this four years Mr. McDonald continued to 
work out and rented his own plowed land. He then 
built a little house and stable, but continued to make 
his home with his father, Donald McDonald, who came 
to the county two years after the son did. The father 
bought a homestead right and on this land he lived 
until his death on February 20, 1915, having survived 
liis wife fifteen years. He was a zealous Presbyterian 
and took the initiative in founding the Bethel church 
of that sect, and of this church he was a very active 
member the rest of his life. 

His son Daniel worked his own land and his father's 
until his marriage, which took place in 1889 and united 
him with Miss Tena Lee, a daughter of James and 



Tena (Nisbet) Lee, and also a native of Ontario, com- 
ing to this county with her parents when Mr. McDon- 
ald came. She died in 1899, leaving four children: 
Winifi'ed, who is a teacher in the Polk county schools; 
Earl, who was a student at school in Crookston ; and 
Lee and Lindsey, who, like Earl, are living at home 
with their father. 

Mr. McDonald's second marriage was with Miss 
Annie McDougall, also a Canadian by nativity, and 
occurred at Elphin, Ontario, March 2, 1904. They 
have four children, Grace, Gilbert, Maurice and Mar- 
vin. Since his first marriage Mr. McDonald has ad- 
ded 160 acres to his farm and it now comprises 320 
acres, his last purchase costing him $23 an acre, with 
improvements. Ilis main dependence for a time was 
grain, but in late years he has devoted more attention 
to live stock, keeping regularly about thirtj' head of 
cattle with twelve milch cows. He has seventeen acres 
in potatoes and generally plants thirty in corn, and 
the buildings and other improvements on his place 
are good. 

The public affairs of his township have always in- 
terested Mr. McDonald and enlisted his service. He 
has served on the township board one term, being its 
chairman. He was also town-ship treasurer for three 
years and has been a member of the school board for 
many. His religious connection is with the Bethel 
Presbyterian church, of vsiiich he has been an elder 
for a long time and is now an occupant of that office. 



IVER HOYE. 



Born, reared and married in Norway, and coming 
to the United States and the Northwest in the full 
vigor of his young manhood at the age of twenty-four, 
Iver Hoye, who has a productive and attractive farm 
in section 8, Sullivan township, this county, which is 
known far and wide as the "Hoye Farm," brought 
to his new home a stimulating force which has been 
serviceably emploj'cd in pushing the further devel- 
opment and improvement of the locality in which he 
lives, as it was in doing the same in other localities in 
which he lived previous to settling where he is now. 



Mr. Hoye's life began in Norway February 28, 1854, 
and he remained in his native land until 1878, when he 
came to this country and located in "Winneshiek 
county, Iowa, where he remained one year. In 1879 
he moved to Yellow JFedicine county, ^linnesota, where 
one of his sisters was living. He made his home with 
her until 1881, and then bought a homestead in Grand 
Forks county. North Dakota, near the village of 
Honeyford, twenty-five miles northwest of the city 
of Grand Forks, driving with oxen to his new home 
from Yellow Medicine county. 




JF.X.S OIl.XSTAD, M. I). 



COMPENDIU]\I OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



399 



For a few years hail storms destroyed Mr. Hoye's 
crops on his homestead and he encountered many 
other discouragements. He discovered that his laud 
at best was none of the most choice, and after living on 
and cultivating it fourteen years he changed his base 
of operations to this county. In 1891 he bought a 
quarter of section 34 in Northland township, for 
which he paid $1,500, it being all wild land. In 1895 
he came to this county to live, but instead of locating 
on his Northland township land he bought a quarter 
of section 8 in Sullivan township, two miles distant 
from his first piirchase, and has made his home on that 
ever since. This second purcliase in Polk county was 
made on a contract for 8,000 bushels of wheat to be 
delivered within a certain term of yeai's, and Mr. 
Hoye 's enterprise and good management in the opera- 
tion of his farms was such that he was able to meet 
the requirements of his contract promptly and with- 
out any default whatever. 

Mr. Hoye has since sold his Northland township 
farm and erected new buildings on the one in Sul- 
livan township. He has also bought a quarter section 



half a mile distant from his home place. By these 
deals he has made money through the advances in the 
value of the land. He raises grain principally on his 
two quarter sections and keeps ten to twelve cows of 
good grades. His interest in the welfare and advance- 
ment of the township in which he lives has always 
been warm and active. He has served on the school 
board for a number of years and has show-n his pro- 
grsssiveness and public spirit in many other ways. 

In his young manhood Mr. Hoye was married in his 
native land to Miss Ingeborg Wistad. They have had 
seven children, three of whom are living. One daugh- 
ter named Anna died at the age of sixteen. Another, 
who had the same name, died at the age of twelve. 
Theodore died when he was eight and Emma when 
she was four. The three living children are : Martin, 
who is still with his parents, and who has been the 
township assessor for four years ; Henry, who married 
Miss Alma Onneland, has two children and is living 
in Montana, and Matilda, who is the wife of Non^al J. 
Bolstad. The members of the family all belong to 
the Grand Marias Norwegian Lutheran church. 



JENS OHNSTAD, M. D. 



Jens Ohnstad, M. D., of Mcintosh, one of the lead- 
ing physicians of the county, was born in Dane county, 
Wisconsin, June 20, 1868. His parents were uatives 
of Norway and came to the United States in 1846 and 
were pioneer settlers of Dane coiinty, where his father 
is living at the close of a long and useful career, hav- 
ing reached his eighty-eighth year and being one or 
the few survivors among those who initiated the emi- 
gration of his compatriots to this country. Two 
brothers and a sister are also living at advanced ages, 
all having passed their eightieth year. Jens Ohnstad 
was reared on the Wisconsin homestead and was edu- 
cated in normal school at St. Ausgar, Iowa. He grad- 
uated in 1892 and in his early manhood engaged in 
teaching school in Fillmore county, Minnesota, using 
this work to secure the financial aid to attain to his 
professional ambitions. In 1899 he entered State 



University for a four-year course of study iu the 
college of physicians and surgeons and received his 
degree from that institution iu 1903 and iu October 
of that year located iu Mcintosh, where he has con- 
tinued to pursue his practice with eminent succes.s:, 
with the exception of two years, during which time 
he transferred his professional activities to Minne- 
apolis. Dr. Ohnstad has kept in touch with the prog- 
ress of medical science and has taken post-graduate 
courses in advanced scientific studies, in Chicago. He 
has gained a wide reputation for his skill and pro- 
fessional achievements and his able services have been 
distinguished by notable victories over serious epi- 
demics of malignant diseases. He has devoted every 
effort and interest to the duties of his vocation and 
has increased his opportunities for efficient service 
bv the establishment of the Dr. Ohnstad Hospital, 



400 



COilPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



which is amply equipped, with professional muscs in 
attendance, and has proved of unmeasured benefit 
to the community in providing immediate relief for 
local distress, obviating the disastrous delays entailed 
in reaching city hospitals. Dr. Ohnstad is that type; 
who, by their broad, progressive and unselfish service, 
furnish the substantial support of the welfare of any 
communitv and has made a most honorable record as 



a physician and citizen. He is a member of the Red 
River Valley, the Minnesota State and the American 
iledical associations, and in fraternal societies is 
affiliated with the Knights of Pythias and the Mod- 
ern Woodmen of America. He was married at Red 
Wing in 1908 to Jlabel Hooverson, of that place, who 
had resided for a time at Mcintosh. Two sons have 
been born to them, Peter Rolf and Karsten Jerdee. 



JOHN N. BOLSTAD. 



Although a native of a foreign land in which his 
ancestors lived for many generations, John N. Bolstad, 
one of the enterprising and successful farmei-s of 
Sullivan township, this county, has passed the whole 
of his life to the present time, except the first four 
months of it, in the United States and the Northwest. 
He was boni in Norway March 15, 1858, and was 
brought to this country by his father, Niles Bolstad, 
in July of the same year. The parents settled in 
Crawford county, Wisconsin, and passed the remain- 
der of their days there. They converted a tract of 
wild timber land into a good farm on which they both 
died. 

Their son John remained at home until he reached 
the age of twenty-one. His father died when the son 
was twelve years old, and although the latter had four 
sisters older than himself, the management of the farm 
rested largely on him and his brother Nels, who op- 
erated it under the supervision of their mother. Nels 
now owns the home place. Another brother, Louis, is 
a homesteader in Bowman county. North Dakota, and 
their sister Josephine, the wife of Ole Miller, a retired 
farmer, lives in East Grauk Forks. This sister accom- 
panied John to Polk county in 1879. Each of them 
took up a homestead, the two comprising the northeast 
and southeast quarters of section 28 in Northland 
township, and each built a shanty. Josephine proved 
up and paid all that was required on her claim, and 
remained on it until she sold it when she moved to 
East Grand Forks. She was married to Mr. Miller in 
1882. 



The shanty built by John N. Bolstad on his home- 
stead M'as twelve feet in size each way and had a board 
roof covered with tar paper. He and his sister worked 
their land together as they had opportunity. But as 
they had only $7 or $8 between them at the start they 
were obliged to work for other persons in order to 
live. The sister worked in Grand Forks and John N. 
obtained employment on the great Grandin wheat 
farm in Dakota in the summer of 1879. In a little 
while he bought a pair of steers and with them he 
broke up what ground he could that year. But his 
land was low and flat, and it was generally too wet 
to plow until June, and crops sown after that would 
not mature. 

Owing to the conditions told above Mr. Bolstad 
rented a farm in Dakota for three years, and when the 
third year brought him good crops he traded his oxen 
for three mules and bought two horses. Meanwhile he 
had held on to liis homestead and kept on working on 
it. In 1886 he rented the farm on which he now lives, 
which then belonged to William Colby. It contained 
all of section 7 except eighty acres, but it had not been 
properly cared for. Mi-. Bolstad plowed 100 acres 
that had been without crops for a number of years 
and obtained good returns for his labor. After rent- 
ing tliis farm for several years he bought one-half of 
it at !f!27 an acre and a few- years later bought the other 
half at a higher price. 

Mr. Bolstad has devoted his attention principally 
to raising grain. He has erected all the buildings on 
the place, lias a deep well with a wind pump and a 



COaiPENDIUJI OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF FOLIC COUNTY 



401 



pressure tank to force the water to all parts of his 
house and barn and many other modern conveniences. 
A few years ago he sold the north half of the section 
to his son Norval, hut in 1914 he bought an additional 
tract of 160 acres at $65 an acre, and he now cultivates 
all he owns. He helped to organize Northland town- 
ship and obtained a good deal of employment from 
W. C. Nash, the first settler in it. In Sullivan town- 
ship he has served several years as a member of the 
township board and the school board. 

In 1883 Mr. Bolstad was married in this county to 
Miss Bertha Jaeobson, who came to the Northwest with 
her father, Jacob Jaeobson, and her married sister, 
Mrs. Anna Christlund, and took up her residence 
with them on a farm in Dakota. She afterward lived 
with her brother, Hans Jaeobson, on his homestead 



in the northwest quarter of section 6, in Sullivan 
township, where his widow is still living. Mr. and 
Mrs. Bolstad have had four children, but only one, 
their son Norval J. Bolstad, is living. Their first born, 
Matilda, died when .she was fifteen. Norval J. was 
born on the farm and has passed the whole of his 
life to the present time on it. He was educated in 
the local and the Grand Forks schools, and has now 
been operating his part of the home farm for two 
years. He married Miss Matilda Hoye, the daughter 
of Iver Hoye, who lives on the adjoining section. 
Three children have been born of their union, Joseph, 
Bernice and Florence. All the members of btoh fami- 
lies belong to the Grand Marias Lutheran church, of 
which John N. Bolstad is an original member and was 
one of the men who built the church edifice. 



EDWARD LA BARGE. 



Having come to the locality in which he now lives 
in the early days before there were any internal im- 
provements in it and while it was yet largely in its 
primeval state of wildness, Edward La Barge, who is 
now one of the enterprising and prosperous farmers 
of Sullivan township, this county, was called upon to 
experience many of the hardships of frontier life, as 
was also his wife, but they endured them with pa- 
tience and an unyielding detei-mination to overcome 
all difficulties and make their way to independence. 

Mr. La Barge was born at Hudson, St. Croix 
county, Wisconsin, January 10, 1861, and is a son of 
David La Barge, who located on a farm near Fond 
du Lac, Wisconsin, in 1849. The father converted his 
wild land near Fond du Lac into a good farm and 
some years later moved to St. Croi.x country in the 
same state. His son, Edward, remained with his par- 
ents until 1880, working on the home farm in sum- 
mer and driving teams in the lumber woods and 
logs on the St. Croix river in winter. In 1880 he came 
to Polk county to get land for himself with only 
about $50 in money, but he bought the Southwest 
quarter of Section 9, Sullivan township, of the rail- 



I'oad company for $750, and on it he has since made 
liis home. 

He broke up his land as rapidly as he could, board- 
ing at a neighbor's while doing it, and hiring some 
help in the operation. In the spring of 1881 he 
bought four horses, intending to push the improve- 
ment of his farm rapidly. But the land was low and 
wet, hail storms came and other disasters to his crops 
followed in almost continuous succession, so that 
some years elapsed before he raised any crops worth 
speaking of. During all this time the Grand Marais 
was often full of water and totally unbridged, and 
all who crossed it with teams were obliged to swim 
their horses, as the water was often twelve feet deep. 
Once, when Mr. La Barge was taking a seeder across 
it got tangled up in the heavy tall grass which grew 
in the Marais and the horses could not pull it out. 
He was forced to unhook his team and abandon the 
seeder, and it was not found until more than a month 
later when the water subsided. 

Owing to his inability to raise crops for seven or 
eight years Mr. La Barge spent the winters in the 
Wisconsin lumber woods and used his teams there. 



402 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AXD BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



lie afterward worked about the same period iu the 
lumber woods of Minuesota. In the winter of 1896 
he took a contract for lumbering near Black Duck 
and had a camp of his own. lie employed ten men 
in carrj'ing out his contract and got out about one 
million feet of lumber. That winter Jlrs. La Barge 
passed the winter in the camp and acted as cook. 
Her husband had a timber claim near the place, but 
this he has since sold. 

The first house Mr. La Barge built on his land 
was a tar paper shanty. In that he lived as a bache- 
lor three summers while working his farm, and in it 
afterward his wife kept hou.se three years. Part of 
their present dwelling was built in 1889 and the rest 
in 1903. The fine bam now on the place was erected 
in 1915. ]\Irs. La Barge's maiden name was Jessie 
Johnson and she was born in Pierce county, "Wiscon- 
sin, Init her marriage to ]\Ir. La Barge took place in 
St. Croix county of that state. They have no chil- 
dren. 

The principal industry of the farm has been rais- 



ing grain, full-blooded Shorthorn cattle and graded 
hogs. Twelve to fourteen milk cows supply large 
quantities of butter for customers in the city. Horses 
are also raised to some extent. Jlr. La Barge has 
sei*ved on the school board but has sought no other 
office. For twenty years he operated a threshing out- 
fit, wearing out three engines and several separators. 
His present engine is a tractor. He is one of the best 
known threshermen in the Red river valley. 

In 1903 Mr. La Barge took a contract to dig eleven 
miles of ditch for the county, extending from the 
Jlarais into Keystone township, the amount of money 
to be paid for his work being $7,200. He let the 
greater part of the w'ork to sub-contractors, but dug 
about two miles of the ditch himself. His record 
in this coiuity shows impressively that persistency 
and pluck are winning factors in the battle of life. 
In spite of all his difficulties and setbacks he now has 
a fine farm which is well improved and highly pro- 
ductive. 



JERRY DRISCOLL. 



Pleasantly located on a fine farm comprising the 
Northwest quarter of Section 34 and the Northeast 
quarter of Section 33, in Sullivan township, Jerry 
Driscoll has a substantial acquisition to show as the 
result of his thirty-six years of life and labor in this 
county. His farm is five miles east of Grand Forks, 
and one mile north and four miles east of the farm 
made memorable in this locality as having been the 
home of his father and his brothers, Michael, John, 
James and Thomas Driscoll, all well known residents 
of Sullivan townsliip for many years. 

Jerry Driscoll was born in the province of Ontario, 
Canada, April 19, 1858, and in the spring of 1879 he 
came to Polk countj% Minnesota, arriving here just 
before the twenty-first anniversary of his birth. He 
lived and worked with his father and brothers until 
1892, when he moved to his present farm, the first 
quarter-section of which was taken up by him as a 



tree claim and afterward changed to a homestead. 

During the same year be built the dwelling house 
which he now occupies. The other part of his farm, 
the Northeast quarter of Section 33, was a part of his 
father's estate, which he had helped to purchase of 
the railroad company at $6 or $6.50 an acre, with a 
rebate for breaking it up. His whole life in Minnesota 
to the present time (1916) has been pa.ssed on these 
two farms, his father's and his own. He i*aises wheat, 
oats and barley, keeps twenty-five head of graded 
Shoi'thorn cattle and milks eight to ten cows. He has 
studiously kept out of political tangles and resisted all 
importunities to become a candidate for any public 
office, finding at all times plenty to full.y occupy his 
time and attention in his own affairs. 

On November 10, 1896, Mr. Driscoll was united in 
marriage with Miss Minnie Genereau, the daughter of 
Paul and Selina ( ) Genereau, na- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



403 



fives of Canada who came to this county in 1881 and 
are now living on the Point in East Grand Foi'ks. 
Mrs. Driscoll was born in ^lichigan. She and her hus- 
band are the parents of three children, James, George 



and Linus. James is a student at the high school in 
East Grand Forks. All the members of the family 
belong to the Catholic church of the Sacred Heart in 
East Grand Forks. 



ANDREW PETERSON. 



Andrew Peterson, a well known business man of 
East Grand Forks, is a native of Sweden, born Feb- 
ruary 22, 1864. He was reared on a farm in that 
country and came to the United States when nineteen 
>ears of age and for a number of years lived at Fargo, 
North Dakota. In 1891 he removed to Grand Forks 
and two years* later to Ea.st Grand Foi-ks where he 
embarked in the restaurant business. From a capital 
of fifteen dollars he has won his way to success and 
substantial prosperit.y, with a career of creditable ac- 
complishment in the local commercial activities. His 
liusiness interests have been confined to the hotel and 
restaurant business and to the management of his 
farming property. As an extensive property owner in 
both East Grand Forks and Polk county, his influence 
has ever been a factor in the promotion and develop- 



ment of the best interests of the community. He has 
invested some thirty-five thousand dollars in city prop- 
erty, owning a number of residences and has erected 
two business blocks on De Mers avenue. His farming 
interests have been equallj^ profitable and here his 
attention has been given mainly to the cultivation of 
grain, the annual crops attesting to able management 
and intelligent farming. This property is situated in 
Grand Forks township, where he owns a half section, 
two and a half miles north of East Grand Forks and 
in Northland township, where he operates a quarter 
section. Mr. Peterson was married in 1892, in Grand 
Forks, to Ellen Satten, who was born in Norway and 
they have two children, Bertha, and Arthur, who is 
in the employ of the Northern Pacific railroad. Mrs. 
Peterson is a member of the Zion Lutheran church. 



TORKEL G. ANDERSON. 



Torkel G. Anderson, a successful farmer and well 
known citizen of Bygland township, is one of the pio- 
neers of the county, having settled on the land which 
is his present home in 1874. He was born in Nor- 
way, October .30, 1852, and in 1861, a lad of nine years, 
accompanied his family to Dane county, Wisconsin. 
Five years later, his father, Gunder Anderson, re- 
moved to Stearns county, Minnesota, and there resided 
until 1876, when he followed his son to Polk county 
and bought forty acres of railroad land in Fisher town- 
ship, on the Red Lake river and continued to reside 
there until his death in 1909, at the age of eighty-two. 
Another son, A. G. Anderson, also located in Fisher 
township in 1876, where he is a well known farmer 
and a daughter, Gunhild, became the wife of Ole Paul- 
son. Torkel Anderson made the trip to Minnesota and 



later from Stearns county to Polk county by the 
primitive use of ox teams and in the fall of 1874 
drove oxen through to Winnipeg, where scarcity of 
supply and abundance of demand, enabled him to se- 
cure from $180 to $200 for a team. His homestead lay 
in section ten of Bygland township and he later bought 
a quarter section of railroad land in section eleven. 
During the first years of his operations he suffered 
loss of crops through hail and endured the various 
hardships which visit the pioneer farmer, slowly win- 
ning his way, by unfailing industry and thrift to suc- 
cess and prosperity. For eighteen years, he operated 
a threshing outfit and owned the first steam thresher 
in the township and has invested extensively in farm 
machinery, availing himself of advanced and efficient 
methods in agricultural activities. He has given par- 



404 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



ticular atteiitioii lo the raising of small grain and 
also has his place well stoeked with cattle and horses. 
Mr. Anderson is a man whose enterprise and ability 
have carried his influence and activity beyond the 
marked success of his private interests and have made 
him a leader in tlie jiromotion of best intei'csts and 
progress of the community in which he lives. He has 
given able service on the township board and was ac- 
tive in the organization and building of the local 
church, of which he is still a loyal supporter. He was 
united in mari-iage to Miss Aspar Isaacson, wliose 



death occurred in 1908. Six children were born to this 
union, of whom five survive, Torand, the wife of Ben 
Krostue, of Thief River Falls; Gunder, who is living 
at the same place ; Isaac, Toney, and Birget, who live 
in Dakota, the former being the wife of Mr. Gunder- 
son ; and Nora, who resides in Bygland township. A 
son Ormand, died in his sixteenth year. Isaac Ander- 
son lives on the home farm and is as.sociated with his 
father in its management. He was married to Julia 
Qualick and tliey have five children, Tovald, Aspar, 
Emma, Oscar and Anna. 



THOMAS D. STEWART. 



Thomas D. Stewart, a well known pioneer farmer 
of Polk county, now living retired on his farm in 
Huntsville township, is a native of Canada, born in 
County Lanark, Ontario, February 9, 1854. At an 
early age he became employed in the lumber woods 
and worked as a lumberman for a number of years, 
thriftily saving from his wages to later finance his 
farming venture. In 1878 he came to tlie United 
States and took a preemption claim in Grand Forks 
county. North Dakota, but the soil proving unsatis- 
factory he soon removed to Polk county wliere he pur- 
chased a quarter section of railroad land in Nesbit 
township. He owned two yoke of oxen and witli these 
he broke ten acres for his first year's crop and was 
able to clear quite a sum of money selling ties and 
cord wood to the railroad. With thrifty management 
and industry, his farming venture prospered steadily 
and he soon built up a fine farm propertj'. After 
eighteen years in Nesbit township, he sold the tract 
and purchased four hundred and sixty acres in sec- 
tion eleven of Huntsville township and this place has 
continued to l>e his home. His principal interest has 
been the cultivation of grain and his wheat crop alone 
in some years has yielded some six thousand bushels. 
Of later years he extended his activities to stock farm- 
ing, starting a herd of thoroughbred cattle. In 1912, 
after many years of successful and creditable accom- 
plishment, he retired from the active management of 



Ills estate and the operation of the farm lias been as- 
sumed by his sons. Robert Stewart and Stanley Stew- 
art. Throughout the yeai-s of his residence in Polk 
county, Mr. Stewart has given his influence and serv- 
ice in all matters of vital import in the development 
of the conununity life and has earned the respect 
accorded to the public spirited intelligent citizenry of 
a commonwealth. As a pioneer of Nesbit township he 
assisted in the organization of the disti-ict, when it 
was named in honor of one of its earliest settlers, 
David Nesl>it, and subsequently served during his resi- 
dence there in various official capacities, as township 
treasurer, chairman of the township board and clerk 
of the school board. In Huntsville township he has 
been prominently identified in the promotion or edu- 
cational progress, particularly in the district in which 
he lives, the organization of the local school having 
been effected through his indefatigable interest and 
preserving efforts in the face of opposition. Mr. 
Stewart was married in March, 1880, at Fisher, to 
Agnes Ferguson, whom he had known in his Ontario 
home. A year after the marriage, her parents fol- 
lowed her to Polk county, settling on land in Hunts- 
ville township which is now included as part of the 
Stewart farm. Her father, James Ferguson, is now 
a resident of East Grand Forks. Seven children were 
born to Mr. Stewart and his wife, Ida, who married 
Joseph Mills, a surveyor, located at Granada, Minne- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



405 



sota; Robert; Edith, the wife of Lee Bryson, a Polk 
county farrnei", living near Euclid ; Kate, who married 
Willie McDonald, a farmer near Mallory; Maggie, 
Stanley and Ella. These children and Mr. Stewart 
survive the death of the mother and wife, whose death 
occurred in 1906. Robert Stewart and Stanley 



Stewart are among the capable and progressive 
younger generation of farmers and are capably carry- 
ing on the labors of the pioneer father. Robert 
Stewart was married to Mabel McDonald, sister of 
Willie McDonald and they have four children, Donald, 
Bert, Dorothy and Marian. 



ANN COX. 



Among the pioneer families of the county, none 
were more actively associated with the early history 
and development than the Cox family, who settled 
here in 1872. They were of Irish descent and came 
to Minnesota from Ontario, Canada. Ann Cox and 
Johannah, who married Paul Jones were the last of 
the five brothers and sisters wdio were early settlers 
of Polk county. Mrs. Jones ' death occurred December 
17, 1915, and Miss Cox passed away January 22, 1916. 
Catherine Cox was married to James Rowe, previous 
to coming to the county and died here in 1875. Miles 
Cox joined the others in 1879 and took a claim in 
Iluntsville township, near the farm of Paul Jones 
and made his home there until his death about ten 
years ago. He is survived by two children, Thomas 
C!ox and Mary Ann Cox, who married Peter McManus. 
In 1872 the land had not yet been surveyed and broth- 
ers and sisters each selected a tract of land which they 
later purchased as railroad land. Both Patrick Cox 
and his brother-in-law, James Rowe, located on the 
north side of the Red Lake river, the former's land 
being in .section thirty-six of Huutsville township. 



where he became a well known citizen and farmer and 
acquired much local fame as a hunter. James Rowe 
later sold his property and removed to Saskatchewan. 
Ann Cox shared with her brothers the experiences of 
pioneer days, sturdily weathering the hardships and 
capably meeting all the responsibilities of the times. 
She secured a homestead in section two of Bygland 
township, which she later sold and upon the death of 
her brother Patrick Cox, purchased his farm, which 
adjoins that of Paul Jones, where she made her home 
with her sister. Prom the experiences of the early 
days, she recalled many interesting tales of significant 
events which can claim few living witnesses; the his- 
torical value of the story being enhanced by the gift 
of a keen observant mind. Ann Cox was a notable 
type of pioneer womanhood which had always founded 
the solid fabric of social organization, trained in the 
rigorous school of service to discern the true values 
of life. She with the other members of the family 
were members and faithful supporters of the Sacred 
Heart Catholic church at East Grand Forks. 



AUGUST NELSON. 



August Nelson, of East Grand Forks, for many 
years a leading farmer of that region and identified 
with business activities as a director in the First Na- 
tional bank, has been a resident of Polk county since 
1877. He was born in Sweden, July 12, 1848, and 
came to this country, a young man of twenty-one 
years ; locating in Duluth, where he secured work 



in a sawmill and for the next eight years continued 
to be employed in the mill or in lumber woods. 
Thrifty management during this time enabled him to 
realize his desire to become a farmer and an owner of 
land, and removing to Polk county he took a home- 
stead in Sullivan township, five miles northeast of 
East Grand Forks. His former employers furnished 






406 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



him the lumber for his first home and he entered upon 
a career marked with the creditable achievement of 
the man who rises throuj^h his own efforts to success 
and affluence. He added steadily to his property and 
now owns eight hundred acres which is operated as 
one farm, is one of the largest estates in the western 
part of the county and equipped with good buildings 
and modern efficient methods for stock and grain 
farming is also one of the most profitable farms in 
the region. Aside from this enterprise, Mr. Nelson is 
associated with various important business interests, 
being one of the original directors and stockholders 
of the First National bank, a stockholder and director 
in the Arneson Mercantile company and was for- 
merly a stockholder in a boat operating on Red river. 
Since 1905 he has resided in East Grand Forks, where 
of late years, ill health has confined him to his home 
and necessitated his retirement from business activi- 
ties. Mr. Nelson is a member of the Ziou Lutheran 



fliurcli and was actively influential in the organiza- 
tion of the Grand Marias Lutheran church. He has 
been three times married. The first marriage was con- 
tracted in Duluth and six children were born to that 
union, three of whom are now living. Edward, who 
is engaged in the grocery business at Centennial, 
Wyoming, Annie, the wife of Oscar Ulve, a farmer 
of Sullivan township, and Carl who operates a part 
of his father's estate. To the second union, with 
Martha Brandon, of Grand Forks, two children were 
boin, William, with the Arneson Mercantile com- 
pany and a director in the company, and John, em- 
ployed in the offices of the Great Northern railroad, at 
East Grand Forks. On October 17, 1905, Mr. Nelson 
was married to Annie Peterson Anderson, the widow 
of Nels Anderson, of Grand Forks. Mrs. Nelson has 
two children by her former marriage, Oscar Ander- 
son, who lives at St. Paul and Lillian Anderson, who 
makes her home with her mother. 



L. S. KOLDEN. 



As a merchant, banker and farmer L. S. Kolden, 
cashier of the State Bank of Neilsville and president 
of the State Bank of Leonard, Minnesota, has had a 
busy and productive life to the present time (1916), 
and one that has been of great service to the com- 
munities in which he has operated. He was born in 
Norway August 28, 1857, and became a resident of 
the United States in 1873. After his arrival in this 
country he lived eight years in Wisconsin and devoted 
seven of them to clerking in a drug store at Sparta 
in that state, during which he exhibited fine business 
ability. 

In 1881 he moved to Ada, Norman county, Minne- 
sota, and for two years clerked in a general store 
there, then srtarted a general store of his own at Neils- 
ville, which he conducted with great success for nine 
years. He began his business on a capital of $1,000 
and sold it at a handsome profit in 1891, having built 
it up to large proportions and made the store widely 
popular and its trade very extensive and active. 



When the railroad was built through Neilsville he 
started a lumber yard, which he continued to operate 
continuously for three years. During almost the whole 
of his residence at Neilsville until 1911 he was also 
engaged in cultivating his fine farm of 290 acres, 
which lies close to the village and is one of the most 
valuable and attractive in Hubbard township. Since 
1911 tenants have farmed it. 

In July, 1911, Mr. Kolden was elected cashier of 
the State Bank of Neilsville, and he has held that 
position ever since greatly to the advantage of the 
bank and its patrons. He is treasurer of Hubbard 
township and has been all of the last fifteen years, and 
has served as school treasurer or clerk continuously 
for twenty-two years. He is also treasurer of St. 
Peter's Lutheran church at Neilsville. 

Mr. Kolden was married in 1883 to Miss Mary 
Christianson, who was also a resident of Wisconsin 
while he was living in that state. They have one child, 
their daughter Lucy Clara, who is now the wife of 




AXDEEVV OPHEIM 



COMPENDIUM OP HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



407 



David Payne, a partuer of Mr. Kolden in a lumber 
business at Holt, Minnesota. Mr. Kolden and his 
brother, S. S. Kolden, are also keeping an agricul- 
tural implement store at Holt, and for some years 
they handled hardware also in it. They have had 
charge of this store six years. In 1915 Mr. Kolden 
organized the State Bank of Leonard, Clearwater 
county, on the Soo railroad line, and he is president 
of that bank. 

The State Bank of Neilsville was organized July 
18, 1904, with a capital of $10,000. It now has a 



surplus of $3,000 and deposits amounting to $134,000, 
w bile its loans and discounts amount to $132,000. The 
banking house occupied by the institution was built 
in 1904 by Nels Muns and A. D. Stevens. The bank 
was known as the Stevens bank until 1906, when B. 
B. Larson and Norman Rosholt bought it and changed 
its name to the State Bank of Neilsville. L. S. Kol- 
den was chosen cashier in 1911. The bank is in a 
flourishing condition and carrying on a general bank- 
ing business of extensive and steadily increasing scope 
and volume. 



ANDREW OPHEIM. 



Entering this section of the state of Minnesota and 
the Northwest while it was still largely an unbroken 
wilderness and founding a business which soon be- 
came, and has continued, a leader in its line ; taking 
a very active and helpful part in laying the founda- 
tions of civilization in the section and giving its pub- 
lic institutions form and direction, and using his 
wide acquaintance and strong personal influence to 
bring settlers into the region, the late Andrew 
Opheim, whose death occurred at his home in Fertile 
April 5, 1915, was, for a period of thirty-three years, 
one of Polk county's most useful, representative and 
esteemed citizens, and well deserved his rank. 

Mr. Opheim was born in Voss, Norway, November 
14, 1844, the son of Styrk and Anna (Opheim) 
Opheim, also natives of that country, who passed their 
lives in it and whose mortal remains were at last laid 
to rest in its soil, which they had hallowed by their 
long and productive labors. The sou was reared in 
hia native land and obtained his education in its pub- 
lic schools, completing it at one of the excellent nor- 
mal schools it contains. He taught school for a few 
years in Norway after attaining his majority, then 
came to the United States, arriving in 1871 and locat- 
ing in Dane county, Wisconsin, where he passed two 
years. From there he went to Chicago and was em- 
ployed as a laborer in that city until 1875, when he 
moved into Southern Minnesota. There he worked 



on farms and taught school until 1882. In that year 
he came to Aldal and entered into partnership with 
the late Dr. Arne Nelson in a general merchandising 
and drug business, which they conducted at that place 
until 1887, then moved both stock and building to 
Fertile. Their business grew and flourished at Fer- 
tile, as it had done at Aldal, and they became as 
widely and favorably known as merchants and pro- 
gressive, enterprising and public-spirited citizens as 
any residents of the Northwest have ever been. Their 
partnership continued until 1893. In that year it 
was dissolved by mutual consent and the business was 
divided, Mr. Opheim taking over the general mer- 
chandising department and Dr. Nelson the drug stock 
and trade. 

In 1895 Mr. Opheim erected at Fertile the building 
which bears his name and is one of the best in that 
village. The business founded by him is still con- 
ducted in it by his nephew, Odd Eide, a sketch of 
whom appears in this work. Mr. Opheim was one 
of the founders of the First State Bank of Fertile and 
served it as a director until his death on April 5, 
1915, at which time he was also vice president of the 
bank. He long took an active interest in the Feiiile 
Brick and Tile company and was one of its directors 
to the end of his life. His political allegiance was 
given to the Republican party and he was an ardent 
and effective worker for its success in all campaigns. 



408 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



Locally he took an energetic and serviceable part iu 
public affairs, serving as president of the village of 
Fertile for ten terms. Fraternally he belonged to 
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and was zeal- 



ous in his membership and his devotion to the fra- 
ternity. As Air. Opheim never married he was able 
to give earnest attention to every public interest, and 
he did this diligently. 



CHARLES NELSON. 



Living retired from active pursuits in his pleasant 
home at Climax, this county, Charles Nelson has 
plenty of food for interesting meditations in the many 
features and numerous thrilling experiences of his 
long years of useful labor. He was born at Num- 
medal, Norway, June 30, 1844, and lost his mother 
by death when he was but two years, seven months 
old. In 1857 his father brought him to the Uniter", 
States, locating in Dane county, Wisconsin. 

In 1862 Mr. Nelson and his father moved to Kandi- 
yohi county, Minnesota, with a view to bettering their 
opportunities for advancement. But the time was 
badly chosen, for six weeks after their arrival and 
the filing on a preemption claim by the father the 
Sioux outbreak came and, with many others, the new- 
comers were obliged to leave that part of the state. 
Many of the settlers gathered on Indian island, and 
on the historical Wednesday afternoon of that period 
thirteen neighbors of the Nelsons were massaei'ed by 
the Indians there. Mr. Nelson and others afterward 
visited the neighborhood to ascertain if there were 
any wounded persons on it, but they found only 
dead bodies. 

Sixteen wagonloads of fleeing settlers left the coun- 
try Saturday morning under the guard of an escort, 
which conducted them well out into the prairie and 
then left them. The teams proceeded to Paynesville 
and from there to Goodhue county. The Nelsons 
never returned to their claim, and the father passed 
the remainder of his life in Goodhue county, where 
he died at the age of fifty-two. Charles' brother Nels 
died in 1901 by falling from a tree which he was prun- 
ing. Charles remained in Red Wing working at his 
trade as a painter until 1878, when he was married 
iu Minneapolis to Miss Carrie Olson Romoe of Good- 



hue county, whither slie was brought by her parents 
from her native town of Stordalen, Trondhjem Stift, 
Norway, when she was twelve j-ears old. 

After spending some months at the home of his 
wife's parents he visited Crookston and other parts 
of Polk county on a tour of inspection, in July, 1879, 
and in May, 1880, bought a proved-up homestead of 
120 acres of Halvor Steenerson in Section 29, Vine- 
land township. He also bought 200 acres of railroad 
land at an average price of $7.50 an acre with a rebate 
of $3 an acre on all that he broke and seeded within 
three years. He broke up three-fourths of the tract 
and got it sowed, and thereby he saved the rebate on 
that much. 

On April 17, 1880, Mr. Nelson arrived at Crook- 
ston with a carload of live stock and farming imple- 
ments, and the wife and ohild arriving in May. When 
the railroad was constructed through here it was 
built along the section line nearly the whole length 
of his land, and when Climax was made a railroad 
station Mr. Nelson sold a part of his land along the 
road in town lots, and he has since sold more, as the 
village of Climax is partly on his farm, and his own 
residence is in the village, although the farm build- 
ings are half a mile away. 

The Nelson farm now contains 295 acres. Mr. Nel- 
son cultivated it in wheat, oats and barley for about 
twenty years, and since he retired it has been farmed 
by tenants under his direction. He has served four 
years on the village council of Climax, l)ut has given 
his attention mainly to his farm. In politics he is a 
Democrat, but in connection with local affairs he is 
independent of party ties. His first presidential vote 
was cast for Gen. George B. McClellan in 1868. His 
religious connection is with the Lutheran church at 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF PODK COUNTY 



409 



Climax, but he was confirmed in a class with R. B. 
Anderson, the Scandinavian writer of Wisconsin, in 
a church near his old home built the year of his birth, 
which is the center of Norsk activity in Wisconsin. 
He and his wife have had six children. Nels Olaf, the 
tirst bom, died in 1911, aged thirty-two. Carl Marcus 
is a rural mail carrier at Climax. Clara Cecilia is 



the wife of Jas. Crook, of near Beach, North Dakota. 
Lilly, who formerly taught the Climax and other 
Polk county schools, is the wife of C. N. Knutson, as- 
sistant cashier of the State Bank of Climax. Valborg 
is the wife of Gust Benrud, of Goodhue county, and 
Ralph Melvin is a student at the high school in 
Crookston. 



OLE ENGEN. 



Having passed many years in hard labor making 
portions of this western wilderness of his earlier days 
docile and systematically productive for the service 
of mankind, Ole Engen, formerly an energetic, enter- 
prising and progi'essive farmer iu three big western 
states, is now living retired from all active pursuits 
and enjoying in peaceful leisure the fruits of his 
labors at his comfortable home in the village of Climax. 
He was born in Norway June 17, 1854, and was 
brought to this country in 1857 by his parents, Ole 
N. and Mary Engen, who settled in Houston county 
and were among the earliest Norwegians who came 
to Minnesota. 

The father bought a pre-emption claim iu Hous- 
ton county and the son remained with his parents 
until he reached the age of twenty-five years. In 
1879 he went to Traill county, North Dakota, where 
he obtained a pre-emption and a homestead claim, 
both of which he improved and on which he lived 
fifteen years. During that period he improved three 
prairie farms in North Dakota and erected build- 
ings on all of them. He found the winter winds too 
strong to be agreeable, and the unpleasant ones not 
confined to the winter season, and he longed for a 
landscape with stretches of timber in it. 

Yielding to his ardent desire in 1894, Mr. Engen 
then returned to Polk county, Minnesota, and bought 
163 acres of land on the Red river adjoining the farm 
of Christopher Steenerson, three miles and a half west 
of Climax. He made his purchase of Jens Siverson, 
paying him $3,200 for the 163 aei-es out of the proceeds 

of his North Dakota property, which he sold before 

2(5 



leaving that state. Later he purchased another tract 
of eighty acres, and for this he paid $25 an acre, and 
for nearly ten years he cultivated these lands. 

About 1904 Mr. Engen desired a change of climate, 
and in search of it he went to Montana and procured 
one and a half sections of land, one section being 
desert land, fifty miles west of the city of Great Falls. 
He occupied, improved and cultivated this land nearly 
three years, then sold it to advantage and returned 
to his home in this county, and farmed two years. 
Then passed a year and a half in Crookston and at the 
end of that period took up his residence in the vil- 
lage of Climax. 

Mr. Engen 's agricultural operations comprised gen- 
eral farming and raising Shorthorn cattle. His farm 
is well adapted to live stock breeding and he used it 
extensively for that purpose. He served on the town- 
ship board while living in North Dakota and has also 
been a member of the village council of Climax. He 
was married in Houston county, Minnesota, to Miss 
Maria Classen, a native of Iowa and eighteen years 
old at the time of her marriage, while he was in his 
twenty-third year. She died December 19, 1909, at 
the family home in Climax, aged a little over fifty 
years. 

Seven children were bom in the Engen family, and 
six of them are living. Olof is on a homestead of his 
own near Leech lake, Minnesota. Alfred lives on and 
cultivates Andrew Steenerson 's farm near Climax. 
Amanda is the wife of Martin Erickson, a merchant 
at Climax. Non*is C. runs a garage at Climax. Severt 
T. also lives at Climax. Cora is the wife of Alfred 






410 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTOKY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



Carlson, who is on his homestead near Leech lake and 
lis a school teacher as well as a farmer. He has taught 
the Climax school. The members of the family are 
all Lutherans, and the father is an oiEcial in the con- 



of a hunter in his time, and has a fine deer head, Artis- 
tically mounted, in his home, its owner having been 
one of the victims of his prowess as a Nimrod. lie 
also has a cane of diamond willow grown on his Mou- 



gregation to which he belongs. He has been something tana farm and richly carved by himself. 



NORMAN ROSHOLT. 



This highly capable and accomplished banker and 
business man, who has been the cashier of the State 
Bank of Climax since 1899, was born in Waupaca 
county, Wisconsin, September 26, 1874, and moved 
to Minnesota in 1897. He passed two years at Halsted 
as assistant cashier of the bank at that place, whicli 
is under the same management as the one at Climax, 
and in 1899 was assigned to duty in his present posi- 
tion. He gives the affairs of the bank his close and 
careful personal attention, and its business has flour- 
ished vigorously under his judicious management. 

Mr. Rosholt seeks recreation in local hunting trips 
and fishing expeditions to the lakes of Minnesota, es- 
pecially those in Ottertail and Polk counties. His 
interest in banking matters has led him into active 
membership in the State and National Bankers' asso- 
ciations and he takes a helpful part in their pro- 
ceedings. In 1903 he was united in marriage with 
Miss Gertrude M. Johnson, of Houston county, this 
state. They have one child, their daughter Thelma. 
Mrs. Rosholt is a daughter of the late Hon. Tosten 
Johnson, at one time state senator from Houston 



county, member of the state house of representatives 
at another time, and also for some years a member 
of the state board of equalization. He served in the 
First Minnesota Heavy Artillery during the Civil 
war, and after the close of that sanguinary contest 
was a farmer in Houston count}'. He passed his last 
years in Climax and died at the home of Mr. Ros- 
holt in that village in 1914, nearly eighty years old, 
and universally esteemed throughout the state. 

The State Bank of Climax was founded in 1897 and 
the banking house it occupies was buiiL the same year. 
It has a capital and surplus of $25,000 and deposits 
aggregating over $185,000 at this time (January, 
1916). B. B. Larson is president; James Larson vice 
president; Norman Rosholt cashier, and C. M. Kuut- 
son assistant cashier. Mr. Rosholt is in partnei'ship 
with B. B. Larson and they have four state banks in 
their ownership and under their management. One is 
at Halsted, and was established in 1892. Another is at 
Neilsville, another at Eldred and the fourth at Climax. 
They are all doing well and held in high regard in the 
communities in which they operate. 



CHRISTOPHER STEENERSON. 



Belonging to a prominent and influential family, 
Christopher Steenerson, who retired from the office 
of postmaster of Climax, this county, in 1914, after 
having filled it acceptably for a period of thirty 
years, has served his adopted land as well and worth- 
ily in his way as his distinguished brother, Hon. Hal- 
vor Steenerson, has in liis in the halls of congress and 
his other brothers have in their quieter but not less 
fruitful ways in their chosen lines of endeavor in 



this new home of their familj', which they have all 
done their pai't to improve, strengthen and magnify. 
Christopher Steenerson was born in Norway Feb- 
ruary 22, 1850, and became a resident of Polk county, 
ilinnesota, in 1875. He was graduated from the nor- 
mal department of Luther College at Decorah, Iowa, 
in 1868, and for two years attended the State Normal 
School in Winona, Jlinnesota, soon after it was opened. 
In the meantime, between the ages of sixteen and 




ANSON CHARLES MERRILL 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



411 



twenty-five, he taught school in Houston county, this 
state, and he also taught two winters in Polk county 
after locating here, being the first teacher in what is 
now Vinelaud township. His first school was kept 
in his own cabin on his claim in 1876. His services 
were given free of cost to the pupils and State Super- 
intendent Burt supplied the necessary books. Twelve 
students attended this school, some of them being 
grown persons newly arrived fi'om Europe. 

Mr. Steenerson settled on a section of school land 
on which another man had built a shack. Finding 
that he was on a school section, the first comer had 
abandoned it and the shack served Mr. Steenerson as 
a home and a schoolhouse. It was 24 by 14 feet in 
size and very crude in construction. The pioneer 
school teacher had driven sixty head of cattle to tliis 
section from Houston county. His brother Levi was 
his partner in the enterprise, and the cattle were 
driven to Pembina, where part of them were sold and 
the rest were disposed of in Winnipeg after reaching 
that city. 

After this trip Mr. Steenerson went to IMoorhead 
and built a flat boat for shiping grain. He loaded 
his own and his brother Levi's grain on this boat and 
the grain of some other persons, and with about 2,000 
bushels on board started down the river. The time 
wa.s November and ice was forming in the river. 
Progress became slow, and about ten miles south of 
Winnipeg the boat was frozen in. This event hap- 
pened at a mill on the river, however, and although 
the grain was sold in Winnipeg it was left at the mill. 
This was in 1876 and the last of the shipment of 
grain in that way at a profit. 

In 1877 Estenson school district No. 6 was organ- 
ized and the school house was located about three 



miles from Mr. Steenerson 's farm. He taught this 
school the first winter it was in operation, and it was 
the fii"st public school taught in that region. Before 
the end of 1877 he was elected county school super- 
intendent, the first occupant of that office, and he filled 
it until he was elected clerk of the district court in 
1879. At the end of one term as clerk of the district 
court he took a pre-emption claim in Clearwater 
county, on which he lived three years and was en- 
gaged in lumbering ou the Clearwater river. He then 
returned to his Polk county farm, ou which he has 
made his home ever since. It is one mile and a half 
from Climax. 

The first postoffice in this neigliborliood was that of 
Meos, which was established about 1878, the name 
being that of Mr. Steenerson 's father's farm in Nor- 
way, and his father was appointed postmaster. When 
Christopher returned from Clearwater county the of- 
fice was moved to liis home and he was made post- 
master. At that time the name of the office was 
changed to Climax, and when the railroad was built 
in 1896 he moved the office to the station and induced 
the railroad company to adopt the same name for it. 
But this did not happen until some months after the 
trains had begun running. He also built tlie house in 
which the postoffice is now located. 

ISlr. Steenei'son owns 300 acres of land and lias it 
nearly all under ciiltivation. He manages his farming 
operations with vigor and raises good crops as the 
result of his industry, judgment and skill as a farmer. 
In addition to all his other public activities he has 
served as a justice of the peace from the time of his 
arrival in the township. Late in life he was united 
in marriage with Miss Dorothy Lee. They have no 
children. 



ANSON CHARLES MERRILL. 



The late Anson C. Merrill, who lived on Section 10, 
Fisher township, two miles north of the village of 
Fisher, was one of the greatest farmei-s Polk county 
has ever had, and when death cut short his usefulness 



on January 21, 1897, at the early age of thirty-four 
years, everybody who knew him or of him felt that a 
career of imperial magnitude and consequence had 
come to an unfortunate and verj' untimely end. Mr. 



412 



COMPENDIU.M OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COINTY 



Merrill was born in Illinois October 10, 1863, aud 
came to Polk county in his boyhood with his parents, 
J. B. and Polly (Braiuerd) Merrill. The family 
located on the farm which is a part of the one owned 
aud operated bj' the widow of their son Anson C, 
the father having sold it to him when he was ready to 
take charge of it. The parents then moved to Fisher, 
and there the father kept a general store in partner- 
ship with his son, C. B. ]\Ierrill, until the father died 
as the result of an accident, his wife also pa.ssing away 
at Fisher five years afterward. 

Some time later C. B. Merrill moved to the state of 
Washington. A. A. Merrill, another son of the fam- 
ily, was a farmer in Nesbit township, one mile north 
of the old family home, and died on his farm in July, 
1014. The members of his family are still living on 
that farm. Still another son, G. E. Memll, owned a 
farm half a mile east of the old home. He is now liv- 
ing at Hood River, in the state of Oregon. Their sis- 
ter Ella is the wife of 0. J. Tinkham, of Fisher town- 
ship. 

The elder Mr. Merrill owned a considerable body of 
land which became the property of his children. 
Anson C. got the old home place of 160 acres, and to 
this he kept adding by successive purchases until he 
owned two whole sections and a quarter of another 
one, also 40 acres of timber or 1,480 acres in all, and 
the whole body of this land is still in the possession of 
his family. He raised great quantities of grain and 
kept six to eight men in hLs employ all the time. He 
also raised and handled large numbers of cattle, fat- 
tening beeves for the markets himself and buying and 
shipping all the live stock in the neighborhood that 



was intended for the market. The dwelling house on 
the farm was built by him, but the barn and some of 
the other improvements were added after his death, 
but were included in his plans while living. 

]Mr. ^Merrill was married Januai-j- 22, 1893, to Miss 
Ida Strande, a daughter of Ole K. and Carrie (Skat- 
rud) Strande, of Nesbit township. She was born in 
Jlanitowoc county, Wisconsin, aud was seven years 
old when the family moved to Polk county and twenty- 
one at the time of her marriage. Three children, Alvis, 
Ellen and Anson, were born of the union, and all of 
whom are living. Ellen was a Polk county school 
teacher for two years. At the time of Mr. Merrill's 
death the oldest of the three was only three years of 
age. He is now twenty-one. He has given careful at- 
tention to a course of study in agriculture at the state 
farm. 

Mrs. Merrill has won warm admiration and high 
praise from the whole people of her own and the sur- 
rounding townships. Left a young widow, with three 
small children and a very large body of land to look 
after, she entered upon her heavy and momentous 
duties with a resolute spirit and the heroic fortitude 
of a Spartan matron, and she has met the requirements 
of her position with great iidelity and ability. She 
has continued to carry on the farm on a scale equal 
to that of her husband and made every pha.se and 
feature of its business profitable. She has also reared 
her children with the utmost care and developed them 
into very useful and worthy members of the com- 
munity, furnishing an admirable example of sturdy 
American womanhood at its best under severe trials 
and responsibilities. 



JOHN E. ELG. 



As the founder of the village of Eldred, for which 
he obtained its selection as a station on the Great 
Noi'thern railroad, and as one of its leading merchants 
and business men, John E. Elg has been aud is a source 
of service and benefit to the part of Polk county in 
which the village is located for which its residents are 



grateful. By his course he has shown himself to be 
enterprising and progressive, aud these qualities have 
won for him all the success he enjoys in life. 

Mr. Elg was bom in Sweden January 8, 1858, and 
in 1872 he came to the United States and located in 
Washington eountv. Minnesota. In 1888 he moved to 




DR. AENE NELSON 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



413 



Polk county, and for some years thereafter he was 
employed in Montana in the service of the Northern 
Pacific railroad. He had no capital and was obliged 
to work at whatever he could get to do to make a living. 
But before going to Montana he bought 160 acres of 
land of the Great Northern railroad at $3 an acre, 
and four years later he bought 160 more at $7 an acre. 

On his return to this county Mr. Elg spent ten to 
twelve years on his farm and got it practically all 
under cultivation, then sold it in 1903 at $25 an acre. 
When the railroad was built through this section he 
donated the right of way for a mile to the company 
and thereby induced it to establish a station at Eldred. 
For a number of years he conducted a confectionery 
store at Eldred and for three years he was postmaster 
of the village. In 1915 he opened the general store 
he is now conducting. His fii'st store was the second 
one in the village, the first being kept by T. M. Boyer, 
who is now in Beltrami and a sketch of whom appears 
in this work. 

Eldred was platted in 1897 by Mr. Elg, who laid out 



twenty-eight acres as its site, and of this he has sold 
about one-fourth to residents. The first building 
erected in the village M'as the Northwestern elevatoi-, 
the first store put up was that of T. M. Boyer, who was 
the first merchant at the place, and the second store 
building was that of Mr. Elg, which was erected in 
the fall of 1898. The postoflfiee was established in 
1899, Mr. Boyer being the first postmaster. Mr. Elg's 
present store building, the one occupied by his own 
business, was put up in 1915. He has also built a 
small residence in the village. It is on the Great 
Northern railroad between Moorhead and Crookstou, 
in Roome township, and has about 200 population. It 
has a union school formed by a combination of four 
districts, and in this agriculture and domestic science 
are taught, the state aiding it to the extent of $2,200 
a year for the purpose. The school has 120 pupils 
and employs four teachers, and two years of its course 
are in the high school grades. The school is very 
popular and is considered a source of great benefit to 
its patrons and the whole region lying around it. 



DR. ARNB NELSON. 



The name of this pioneer physician and surgeon 
and leading merchant for many years in this part 
of the Northwest is remembered with cordial esteem 
and his memory is cherished with veneration by all 
who had the benefit of acquaintance and association 
with him in his lifetime or enjoy any part of the 
fruits of his usefulness and great service to Polk 
county and the Red river valley in general. In the 
early years of his residence in Polk county he was an 
active promoter of immigration to the county, and 
he dealt in lands for the purpose of carrying on this 
business extensively. And during the whole period 
of his residence here he was in active practice as a 
physician and in mercantile business as a druggist, 
so that every phase of his activity was serviceable to 
the region and its residents. 

Dr. Nelson was bom in Voss, Norway, in March, 
1851. He was a brother of Knute Nelson, the present 



postmaster of Fertile, a sketch of whose life will he 
found in this work. The doctor was reared in his 
native land and obtained his academic education at 
the state public schools and a normal school in that 
country, and after completing hLs course there he 
followed teaching for five years. In 1873 he en me 
to the United States and located in Southern ilin- 
nesota. He found employment with Dr. McNamara 
at Owatonna, Minnesota, and in the eourae of a little 
time afterward began the study of medicine under 
the direction of his employer. He began his practice 
at Hartland, in Freeborn count}', Minnesota, where 
he remained two years, then moved to Aldal, Min- 
nesota. 

In 1882 the doctor became a partner of Andrew 
Opheim in a general merchandise and drug business 
at Aldal. They carried on an extensive trade at 
that place until 1887, when they moved to Fertile, 



414 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BI0GRAPir5r OF POLK COUNTY 



taking their store building and all their stock to the 
new site, and their continuing at the head of an active 
and profitable business until 1893, when they dis- 
solved partnership and divided their stock. Dr. Nelson 
taking the drugs and Mr. Opheim the other goods. 
The same year he erected the building now used by 
hia nephew, Nels Vasenden, in conducting the same 
business. 

The doctor carried on his drug business and kept 
up his practice as a physician until his death on May 
2, 1908. He was widely known in Polk county and 
the counties adjoining it as an able physician and a 
progressive and public-spirited citizen, of great force 
for good in this region. He held membership in sev- 
eral different medical societies, was a member of the 



Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and took an 
earnest interest and an active part in everything that 
pertained to the progress and improvement of his 
community. 

Dr. Nelson was married in 1878 to Miss Bessie 
Hatleberg, a native of Wisconsin. Tliey became the 
parents of five children, all of whom died in child- 
hood except their daughter Clara, who is now the 
wife of Odd Eide, of Fertile. In political faith the 
doctor was a Republican of strong convictions and 
he was a leader in the councils of his party in this 
locality. His religious connection was with the Nor- 
wegian Lutheran church. For a number of years he 
.served as president of the village council of Fertile. 



IIELGE H. THORESON. 



This gentleman, who is now serving his third suc- 
cessive term as one of the county commissionei's of 
Polk county, is not only one of the most useful public 
men but also one of the most enterprising and success- 
ful farmers in the county. He located in it in 1878 
with his parents, who had nothing whatever in the 
way of capital or property, and he now owns 600 acres 
of highly improved and well cultivated land, with 
good buildings on it and everything necessary for car- 
rying on his extensive fanning operations, and he has 
a record of public service to his township and the 
county of which any citizen might justly feel proud, 
but which his modesty forbids him to mention. His 
farm is in Roome township, Section 19, sixteen miles 
southwest of Crookston, two miles and a half east of 
the Red river and eight miles north of Climax. 

Mr. Thoreson was born in Norway May 2, 1864, the 
son of Helge and Johannah T. (Volden) Thoreson. 
and was brought by them to the United States in 1868. 
The family located in Fillmore county, Minnesota, and 
remained there until 1871, when it moved with oxen 
to Ottertail county, the father taking up a homestead 
at Parkdale in that county. The family was very 
poor in those days, and the father bad to make all the 



furniture for the home and shoes for the family. In 
1878 he sold his land in Ottertail county and moved 
with oxen to Polk county, locating on Section 13, Tyn- 
sid township, one mile northwest of the present home 
of his son Helge, on which he died in 1892, aged fifty- 
five, and his wife fourteen years later. 

The elder Mr. Thoreson bought prairie railroad land 
at $5 an acre but broke enough within the prescribed 
time to reduce the price of his whole tract to $3 an 
acre. He built a good frame house and other build- 
ings in time, and owned 680 acres of land at the time 
of his death. But his first house was the first one on 
tlie prairie, and he had many hardships and privations 
to undergo. When he arrived on his land he camped 
one night on the prairie, and the next morning he 
began plowing on two tracts of land before daylight 
in order to get the start of other men who were on 
the road to locate on it. He was a member and one 
of the founders of Sand Hill Free Lutheran church 
and served some years as township treasurer and as 
school treasurer. All of his eleven children are living 
and held a reunion in 1915. His farm is now owned 
]iy his youngest son. 

Helge H. Thoreson remained with his parents until 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



4ie 



he reached the age of twentj'-two. At fourteen he 
attended a school half-way to Crookstou, walking to 
it and back home once a week. The next winter they 
had a school at home, which was taught by a Miss 
Sprague from Fisher. Helge carried the mail two 
years between Fisher and Neby, three miles south of 
his home, and the next year also on to Climax, going 
to Neby three times a week and to Climax once, and 
was the first carrier paid by the government on that 
route, receiving $340 the first year, and $375 the sec- 
ond year ; by the time he was of age he had saved $300. 

In the fall of 1885, when he was almost twenty-two, 
he bought eighty acres of land, the tract being a part 
of his present farm, for which he paid $9 an acre. In 
1886 he began to farm his land, borrowing oxen from 
his father and starting plowing May 17. The ground 
was so wet that the oxen mired in it, but by the last 
of May he had twenty-three acres plowed and seeded, 
and from this he got a fair crop. He was then living 
with his parents, but on January 6, 1887, he was mar- 
ried to Miss Anna B'angen, a daughter of Ole and 
Caroline T. (Bangen) Bangen, of Tynsid township. 

The young couple began housekeeping under great 
difficulties. They had a little shanty, which is still 
standing, that gave them some shelter, but they were 
obliged to sleep on the floor and eat off a dry goods 
box. On the night of February 25, their first in the 
shanty, Mrs. Thoreson took a lamb into the shanty to 
protect it from the cold, but it froze to death that 
night. But they were not dismayed and put all their 
energies at work to get ahead. Mr. Thoreson paid for 



his first land and as he prospered kept adding to it 
until he now owns 600 acres, 520 acres of which are in 
Section 19, Roome township. He has about 320 acres 
under cultivation, mostly in grain, and in 1915 raised 
8,000 bushels, an average of about 25 bushels to the 
acre. He keeps graded Holstein cows and supplies 
cream to the co-operative creamery at Climax. The 
barn now on the place was built in 1892, the granary 
in 1896 and the house in 1898. 

Mr. Thoreson was township treasurer six years, as- 
sessor two years, and has served on the school board 
since 1889, except during one term of three years. He 
was elected county commissioner in 1906 for a term 
of four years, and was re-elected in 1910 and again in 
1914. He is a Republican in politics, but is devoted 
to the welfare of the county without regard to partisan 
considerations. As lie is on the road and bridge com- 
mittee of the board he is obliged to devote a great deal 
of his time to his official duties. His religious con- 
nection is with the Sand Hill Free Lutheran church. 

Mr. and Mrs. Thoreson have a family of eight chil- 
dren living. Josephine is the wife of Martin Larsen, 
a farmer living near her father's home. Christine is 
the wife of John Holm, also a neighboring farmer. 
Amanda, who was for a time a Polk county school 
teacher, is now the wife of Carl Olson, of Beltrami 
county, Minnesota. Thilda is the wife of Hans Han- 
stad, a near-by farmer. And Olga, Ole, Eddie and 
Ingman are still at home with their parents. A son 
named Helge died at the age of fourteen. 



HENRY C. HENDRICKS. 



The late Henry C. Hendricks of Garden township, 
this county, who died February 13, 1912, at the age 
of sixty years, when it appeared there were still 
many years of usefulness before him, was bom in 
Norway May 4, 1852, and came to the United States 
with his parents when he was sixteen years of age. 
His parents were Christian and Sophia Hendricks, 
also natives of Norway. The mother died in Nicollet 



county and the father at the home of his son Henry in 
Polk county, passing away there in 1909 in the ninety- 
third year of his age. 

Their son Henry C. came to Polk county in 1880, 
and was one of the first settlers in what is now Gar- 
den township. He took a homestead which is still a 
part of the farm on which the family lives, and put up 
a little log house in which he lived for a number of 



416 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



years, with bis sister keeping bouse for bim before 
his marriage and bis wife doing the same afterward, 
the present dwelling house not being erected until 
1900, although the barn was built some years before 
that time and other improvements were also made 
earlier. 

The farm, whicli is five and a half miles east of 
the village of Fertile, now comprises 320 acres, Mr. 
Hendricks having bought the adjoining quarter-sec- 
tion of land for .•i;2,200 about 1895. About 225 acres 
are under cultivation, nearly all of which was cleared 
by the owner during his lifetime. For many years 
he depended mainly on raising grain, but of late 
he gave more attention to raising live stock, and 
always kept twelve to sixteen milch cows for furnish- 
ing milk to the co-operative creameries at Fertile 
and Eindal, in both of which be owned stock. 

Mr. Hendricks was a Republican in his political 
faith and always made it a matter of duty to vote 
at every election. He was one of the first members 
of Faaberg United Lutheran church at Rindal, but 
aside from his duties in the church and as a citizen, 
he gave his attention exclusively to his farm, except 
that for a number of years he was in partnership with 
his brother, N. C. Hendricks, in carrying on a dry 
goods store at Fertile, remaining in the firm, which 



bore the name of the Hendricks Dry Goods company, 
until his brother left the count}'. 

On August 8, 1884, Mr. Hendricks was united 
in marriage with Miss Laura Larson, a daughter of 
John and Eli Larson, who lived in Nicollet county, 
this state, for a time and moved to Polk county in 
lb80, also becoming homesteaders in Garden township 
not far from Rindal. Mrs. Hendricks was not yet 
nineteen at the time of her marriage, but she imme- 
diately took charge of the housekeeping for her hus- 
band, although she iiad very little furniture and her 
culinary supplies were often scant and limited to a 
few very plain articles of food. 

Mr. and Mrs. Hendricks were the parents of ten 
children, one of whom, a son named Arnold Theodore, 
and the eighth child in the order of birth, died at 
the age of seven years. The children who are living 
are : Ella Sophia, now the wife of Thomas P. Bugge, 
of Seattle, Washington ; Wilbert Eugene, who is liv- 
ing at home ; Cora Josephine, who is a school teacher 
in Norman county and has taught in Polk county; 
Hilma Lorando, who works in Seattle; Lawrence 
Joseph, who has charge of the home farm ; and 
Clarence Julius, Clara Matilda, Norma Luella and 
Arnold Leland, who are still members of the parental 
family circle, and take an active part in all its inter- 
ests and industries. 



CARL LUDWIG HANSEN. 



Making jiis way in a new world under difficulties 
incident to a wild frontier and seriously handicapped 
by the loss of his right arm when he was but thir- 
teen years old, Carl Ludwig Hansen, one of the sub- 
stantial and progressive farmers of Garden township, 
this county, with a tract of 320 acres of land in sec- 
tions 28-26, 29, which he has made into a fine farm, 
with 200 acres yielding good crops, has worked out 
steady progress for himself by his persistent industry, 
prudent frugality and excellent management of his 
affairs. 

Mr. Hansen was born near the city of Christiania, 
Norway, December 15, 1849, and in 1854 came with 



his parents, Lewis and Anna Maria Hanson, to the 
United States, locating at St. Peter, Nicollet county, 
Minnesota, where the mother died six weeks later, 
and was the first white person to die in the township 
of their residence. What is now the city of St. Peter 
was then called Travers de Sioux, and there was a 
missionary family living there. This family took 
charge of an infant daughter left by Mrs. Hansen, 
and reared her as their own child. She never knew 
until after marriage that she was not the daughter 
of the missionary. Then she learned who she was and 
opened a correspondence with her brother Carl. The 
father improved a farm three miles from St. Peter, 



COMPENDIUM OP HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



411 



but passed his last years at Big Stone Lake in what 
is now South Dakota, where he died, aged more 
than seventy years, after a long continuance of useful 
labor. 

Carl L. Hansen took up his residence at Crookston 
June 18, 1881, when the settlement was but a strag- 
gling hamlet with big stumps in the middle of its main 
street. Ole Rindahl, Andrew Olson, Christ Olson, 
and Ole, Steffen and Martin Horstad, friends of his 
in Nicollet county, had located here the previous year, 
and two of them, Ole Horstad and Andrew Olson, are 
still residents of Garden township. Mr. Hansen took 
up part of his land in 1881 as a pre-emption claim 
and built his present dwelling of logs cut on the place, 
which was all covered with timber. 

"Garden" was suggested by Mr. Hansen as a suit- 
able name for the township when it was organized 
because of the abundance of wild strawberries in it, 
and his suggestion was adopted. \\Tien he located 
here he had a wife and seven children, a team of 
horses and a wagon, two cows and $15 in his vest 
pocket. So he worked out to provide for his family, 
especially in harvest times, and gradually got a start. 
In the meantime, when he had opportunity, he worked 
on his own land and by persistent industry he has 
transformed its wild expanse into a well improved 
and highly productive farm. 



ilr. Hansen's main dependence has been growing 
grain, but he keeps ten to twelve cows to furnish milk 
for the Co-operative Creamery association at Rindal, 
in which he is a stockholder, as he is also in the Co- 
operative store at the same place, which is a mile and 
a half from his home. There is a feed mill at the 
creamery which is operated in connection with it and 
does an extensive business and is a great convenience 
to the farmers. 

In the early years Mr. Hansen served in sui-vey 
and road work, on the township board and in other 
public capacities. He has built a good new barn 
on his farm but is still living in his log house, which, 
however, is commodious and comfortable enough for 
his needs. He and his family are connected with 
Faaberg United Lutheran church, which is near his 
home. At the age of twenty he was married in 
Nicollet county to Miss Sarah Clementson, a native 
of Norway. Slie died January 3, 1893, leaving eight 
children : Chi-ist, who is a merchant at Fort Atkin- 
son, Wisconsin; Lewis, a farmer near his father; 
Charles, who is living at home; Edward, who culli- 
vates the farm ; Mary, who is the wife of Oscar Fugle- 
seth and lives near her old home; Alvin, who works 
in North Dakota ; Christina, the wife of Peter Hogan- 
son, of St. Paul, and Bertha, who is the housekeeper 
for her father. 



THOMAS H. NESSETH. 



The late Thomas H. Nesseth, of Fertile, whose 
tragic death on July 5, 1911, east a heavy pall of 
gloom over the whole community of his home, was one 
of the most enterprising and progressive farmers and 
business men in Garfield township and one of its 
most highly esteemed citizens. He was born in Nor- 
way March 18, 1859, and came to the United States 
with his parents, Helge and Margaret Nesseth, in 
1871, when he was twelve years old. The family lo- 
cated at Harmony, in Fillmore county, Minnesota, 
and there its members remained until 1881, when 
they all came to Polk county together. Five of them 



are still living in Garfield township. The father took 
lip a homestead in that township on which he died 
about 1890. The mother is still living and has her 
home with her daughter, Mrs. B. M. Benness of Gar- 
field township. She is now more than eighty-two 
years old. 

Thomas H. Nesseth took up most of the land on 
which his family is now residing as a homestead in 
1890; the farm has, however, been enlarged to 200 
acres, and about 160 are under cultivation. Soon 
after locating here Mr. Nesseth became a dealer in 
farm implements at Fertile and was the second mer- 



418 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



chaut there in that line of trade. He was active iu 
the business for over twenty years and kept his inter- 
est in it until his death. Albert GuUickson was his 
partner and later took over the management of the 
store, Mr. Nesseth retiring from active connection 
with it. They built the double store building which 
the business now occupies about 1900. 

When Mr. Nesseth retired to his farm he expected 
to gather a fine herd of Holstein cattle, and erect a 
new dwelling house and barn. But all his designs 
were cut short by his sudden death. He had been 
exhibiting some of his cattle at the Fertile fair, and, 
on his return with them to the farm, when he was 
leading the bull into the pasture the animal became 
infuriated, turned on him and injured him so badly 
that he died five hours later. His plans with refer- 
ence to the house and barn have been carried out 
and the family now has one of the finest rural homes 
in Polk county. 

Mr. Nesseth had served on the school board, been 
mayor of Fertile and president of the village coun- 
cil, and was one of the organizers and the secretary 
of the Farmers Insurance company and secretary of 
the Co-operative Creamery company. He helped to 
organize Little Norway United church, whose church 



edifice is one mile and a half east of his farm and 
near his old family home, when he first came to Polk 
county, and he was one of its most active and service- 
able members and its secretary to the time of his 
death. lie was first married to iliss Margaret Rude, 
who died, leaving no children, and on August 6, 
1892, he contracted a second marriage with Mrs. 
Anna Henderson, the widow of A. S. Henderson, 
who then had two children: Lillie, who married 
Robert Erickson and died at the age of twenty- 
eight; and Arthur, who lives with his mother and 
operates the farm. Mrs. Nesseth 's maiden name was 
Anna GuUickson and she is a daughter of Andrew 
and Helen GuUickson, who also were homesteaders in 
Garfield township and occupied the farm adjoining 
the present home of their daughter. By her second 
marriage Mrs. Nesseth became the mother of four 
children : Mabel, who is a teacher at Greenbush, in 
Roseau county; Ida, who is teaching at Glyndon, in 
Clay county, and has taught in Polk county ; Ilelmer, 
who is a bookkeeper in the Farmers State Bank at 
Fertile, and Albert, who is living at home. Mrs. Nes- 
seth is a lady of unusual natural ability and her 
home is a center of refined and elevated social activity 
and generous hospitality. 



H. G. FLOAN. 



H. G. Floan, whose well cultivated and highly im- 
proved farm of 157 acres lies in Section 26, Onstad 
township, this county, two miles southeast of the 
village of Melvin, eight and a half miles west of Fer- 
tile and seventeen miles southeast of Crookston, was 
born in Norway, and reared, educated and married 
in that country. In 1880 he came to the United 
States, bringing his wife and one child with him, and 
located in Goodhue county, Minnesota, where for 
seven years he worked by the year for farmers. In 
that period he saved $100 and became the father of 
three additional children. 

In 1887 Mr. Floan moved to Polk county and bought 
the farm on which he is now living at $5.06 an acre. 



It was a full quarter-section when he bought it, but 
the railroad has since cut off one corner, taking about 
three acres. He had eight years in which to pay for 
his land and had to put up with many inconveniences 
during a great part of the time. For years his family 
lived in a one-room shanty with a little crude furni- 
ture, but he had a team of horses and two cows 
which he brought with him from Goodhue county. 

Mr. Floan now has all his land under cultivation or 
in pasturage. The dwelling house he now occupies 
was built in 1911 and most of the other improvements 
were made earlier. He keeps eight to twelve milch 
cows to supply material for the Co-operative Cream- 
ery at Fertile, in which he is a stockholder, as he is 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



419 



also in the Farmers State Bank in that village. Ilis 
cattle are Shorthorns of good grades. He has served 
as road overseer and on the school board for fifteen 
years continuous!}', and his son Lawrence is now treas- 
urer of this board. At the age of twenty-eight Mr. 
Floan was married in his native land to Miss Chris- 
tina Anderson. They have had ten children, nine of 



whom are living, Gunder, Anna, Louisa, Albert, 
Henry, Lawrence, Clara, Giiia, and John. A daugh- 
ter named Sarah died at the age of sixteen years, nine 
months and twenty-two days. All the members of 
the family belong to the Varness United Lutheran 
church. 



ANDREW K. HOLEN. 



Andrew K. Holen, who lives on a fine farm in Sec- 
tion 22, Liberty township, four and a half miles west 
of the village of Fertile, came to this county in 1887, 
when he was twenty-six years of age, with just $100 
in money and no other property, and he now owns 
400 acres of highly improved and well cultivated land, 
has stock in the Fertile Co-operative Creamery and 
the Farmers State Bank of Fertile, and is one of the 
substantial, enterprising and public-spirited citizens 
of the county, influential among his fellow men and 
highly respected by all who know him. 

Mr. Holen was born in Norway April 21, 1861, and 
came to this country with his parents, Knute and 
Carrie Holen, when he was six years old. The family 
located in Allamakee county, Iowa, and there the par- 
ents remained. The son attended the district schools 
and as soon as he was big and strong enough worked 
out as well as on his father's farm, continuing this 
course until he reached the age of twenty-six. Then, 
in 1887, he came to Polk county, where his two 
brothers, Ole Holen and Hans Knudson, were living 
and had been for eight years, Ole in Liberty township 
and Hans near Lee station. Ole is still residing on 
his farm, but Hans has been a resident of Marshall 
county, this state, for twenty-five years. 

Andrew K. Holen bought the farm on which he 
is now living as a tree claim and converted it into 
a homestead claim, paying $550 for it. There were 
no buildings on it and only fifteen acres had been 
plowed when he bought it. On March 15, 1888, he 
was married to Miss Hannah Peterson of Allamakee 



county, Iowa, where she was born, her parents hav- 
ing come to this country before the Civil war. Her 
assistance enabled him to pay off his indebtedness 
on his farm and make some improvements. His first 
house was a log cabin, and its furniture consisted 
of a homemade table and cupboard, some stools of 
his own manufacture, six plates, cups and saucers, 
and a second hand stove. He rented his land to get 
crops and worked out to support his family. During 
tlie first three years he was able to sell only 100 
bushels of wheat, but he had a cow and some chick- 
ens, and these helped to keep the wolf from his door. 
Coffee was a thing to be thought of and longed for, 
but not to be enjoyed. 

At the end of three years Mr. Holen began to devote 
his whole attention to his farm, but successive 
droughts injured his crops leaving him little more 
than chicken feed for a year or two. He now has 
his whole farm of 400 acres under cultivation and 
raises good crops. For some of his land he paid $10 
an acre and for some $25 an acre. He built his pres- 
ent dwelling house in 1896 and his fine barn, 40 by 100 
feet in size, in 1914, and has other first-rate improve- 
ments. Grain was his main dependence for many 
years but he now has a good deal of dairy stock in- 
cluding ten to twelve milch cows. 

Mr. Holen has served three years as chairman of 
the township board and has filled several other local 
offices, having been a member of the school board for 
thirteen years. He sides with the Republican party 
in political affairs, and he and his wife are members 



420 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



of the Verness United Lutheran church, of which he on the operations on tlie farm, relieving their father 
is treasurer. They have two sons, Carl, aged twenty- of all the hard labor incident to them, 
five and Herman, aged twenty-three, who now carry 



CONRAD G. SELVIG. 



Conrad G. Selvig, superintendent of the Northwest 
School of Agriculture and Experiment Station of The 
University of ^Minnesota at Crookston, was born at 
Rushford, Minnesota, October 11, 1877, being the son 
of Guilder C. and Marie llogerstad of Norway and 
wlio came to the United States as a young married 
couple. A few months were spent in work on the 
Great Lakes, when, in 1874, they settled at Rushford. 

After graduating at the local high school, young 
Selvig, in 1896 was appointed by Hon. James A. 
Tawney a cadet to the Military Academy at West 
Point. 

After his return, he entered upon the duties of a 
teacher becoming Principal of the public school at 
Granger, Minnesota. In 1901 we find him in a similar 
position at Harmony, Minnesota, where he was re- 
tained for five years. From Harmony he went to the 
University of Minnesota where he graduated in 1907, 
receiving his A. M. degree in 1908. Then he became 
superintendent of schools and principal of Stevens 
Seminary at Gleucoe. The needs of more practical 
educational methods were keenly realized at this time 
and in order to meet the demands as he saw them, he 
here introduced departments of Agriculture, Home 
Economics, Manual Training, and Teachers' Training. 
This was a time when such ideas were being discussed 
in the state and nation, but had been but feebly tried 
in actual school life. The result of his efforts were 
such as to attract attention, not only among teachers 
and patrons, but also among the public officials, and 
it was but a matter of a few months when his services 
were sought by the state to handle the station but 
recently established at Crookston, he being selected 
as its superintendent in 1910. The history of this 
institution being found elsewhere in this work, we 
will not repeat it here. 



It is conceded by all interested that Mr. Selvig has 
proved to l>e the right man in the right place, his 
optimism, enthusiasm and business tact being the es- 
sential qualities needed at the head of a school 
designed to instill similar traits into the numerous 
students, whose future is largely determined by what 
they may obtain here. 

Mr. Selvig 's work has so broadened that it has gone 
beyond state limits, and is attracting attention wher- 
ever advanced ideas are being introduced not only 
in general educational matters and methods but more 
especially where communities ai'e awakened to better 
farming, better social and better living conditions. 

He assisted in organizing the Northwestern Agri- 
cultural Fair association, the Red River Development 
association and is president of the Red River Dairy- 
men's association and he is a director of the Alumni 
association of the State University, treasurer of the 
Minnesota Educational association, a member of the 
American Association of Agricultural Colleges and 
Experiment Stations, a member of the National Edu- 
cational association and is a charter member of the 
American Association for the Advancement of Agri- 
cultural Teaching. 

His addresses are filled with valuable suggestions 
showing a depth of thought and are delivered with 
such ease and assurance that hearers are captivated 
and permanently benefited. 

Possessed with natural urbanity ripened by a broad 
culture and experience, his personal relations with 
all with whom he is thrown in contact are ever of the 
most agreeable, admiration of him as a teacher being 
excelled only by that accorded him as an individual. 

He has written extensively, many of his treatises 
]>eing published as bulletins by the National Bureau 
of Education. 




C. G. 8ELVICt 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



421 



Although his interest in politics is only such as is 
clue from every true American citizen, he has been 
alive in party matters, once at least serving as a dele- 
gate to a state convention. 

He is a Knight Templar and a member of Acacia 
Fraternity of the State University. 



His marriage, June 17, 1903, at Mabel, Minnesota, 
to Miss Marion E. Wilcox, a graduate of the Central 
High School of Minneapolis, has resulted in the birth 
of three children — Helen Mai-iou ; Margaret Elizabeth ; 
and Conrad George. 



AUGUST C. SCHMIDT. 



One of the leading painters, decorators and paper- 
hangers in the Northwest, and chief of the fire depart- 
ment of the city of Crookston, August C. Schmidt 
contributes essentially and substantially to the service 
of the people around him by pleasing their taste and 
promoting their safety and aiding greatly in the pro- 
tection of their property as well as their lives. He 
was born in Manitowoc county, Wisconsin, August 3, 
1859, and came to iliunesota in 1878, locating at Still- 
water. He had learned his trade in his native state 
and was in charge of a shop in Stillwater two years. 
He then passed six months in Minneapolis, and at the 
end of that time moved to Hastings, where he was in 
charge of a shop until 1880. 

At that time he saw an advertisement from McKin- 
non Bros, of Crookston, stating that they were in need 
of a first class carriage painter, and as he had heard 
much in favor of the Red river valley, he determined 
to seek this job. He came to Crookston and for two 
years was in charge of the McKinnon Bros.' paint 
shop, and then started his own business in 1883. He 
has adhered to his enterprise continuously since that 
time, and his is now the only business that has been 
in operation in Crookston steadily for thirty-three 
years. He has given his attention mainly to interior 
decorating, and he is sought for to do this kind of work 
on all of the best residences and public buildings 
nearly all the way from Crookston to Duluth. His 
sons, E. W. and Harry F., are associated with him in 
the work, and he employs regularly twelve to fifteen 
men in addition. 

In 1882 Mr. Schmidt helped to organize the Crooks- 
ton fire department, which was a volunteer hook and 



ladder company with a truck and a chemical engine, 
which was familiarly called "The Old Soap Boiler." 
The company had sixteen members, and Mr. Schmidt 
is the only one of the number who is still active in the 
department, which is a volunteer one to this day. 
When the company started its work he was foreman 
in charge of the apparatus at fires. In 1895 he was 
elected chief, and he served as such for two years. 
After the end of that period he served in the ranks 
until January, 1915, when he was chosen chief again, 
and he is still filling that office. He has had some 
thrilling experiences and some narrow escapes from 
serious injury, and has rendered valuable service at 
many big fires, especially the largest one Crookston 
ever had, the one that destroyed the Auditorium and 
some adjoining buildings at a loss of $250,000. At 
present the department has twenty-four members, 
three of whom are paid officials and devote their whole 
time to the work. The department also owns two 
liose wagons, one hook and ladder truck, forty-five 
hundred feet of hose and four horses, besides chemical 
engines and other apparatus. Usually five of the 
members sleep at the engine house. The company 
formerly took part in many tournaments of the North- 
ern Minnesota Firemen's association, and carried off 
many honors in them. In these tournaments Mr. 
Schmidt's son Harry was the leader in ladder climb- 
ing contests and won glory for his organization in 
many a hot one. 

Mr. Schmidt was a member of the city council from 
the Second ward in 1894, when the Northern Pacific 
Railroad was built through Crookston. He was made 
a Freemason in 1886 and is still active in his lodge, 



422 



COMPENDIUM OP HISTORY A'SD BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



his Royal Arch Chapter, his Commaudery of Knights 
Templar and the Mystic Shrine. He also belongs to 
the Order of Elks. On December 18, 1884, he was 
married to Miss Mary Elizabeth Ross, the daughter 
of John Ross, for many years janitor of the court- 
house and the high school. They have had eight chil- 
dren, seven of whom are living, Edward W., Harry 
Frank, Lillie, Ross Owen, Helen, Allen and Grace. 
A daughter named Isabel died when she was twelve 



years old. Lillie is now the wife of Thomas Morteu- 
sou, of Crookston, and Harry married Miss Blanche 
McDonald. Mr. Schmidt and his son Harry are mem- 
bers of a hunting club which has had a deer camp 
twenty miles from Hibbiug for twelve years. The 
club has an outing at the camp every year, and they 
usually get a bountiful supply of venison while 
the outing is in progress. 



NELS CLEMENTSEN. 



In many ways this enterprising and progressive 
farmer and bank president has shown his capacity to 
advance his own interests and aid materially in pro- 
moting the welfare and advancement of the region 
around him. He was born in Goodhue county, Min- 
nesota, June 30, 1859, the son of Knut Clementsen 
who came to this country and located in Illinois in 
1855 and moved to Goodhue county, this state, in 
1858. He took up government laud there and con- 
verted it into a fine farm, and is now living retired at 
Zumbrota. At one time he owned two tracts of land 
in Polk county, one in Liberty township and the other 
partly in Russia and partly in Onstad township. 

His son Nel.s, whose home is in Section 15, Liberty 
township, five miles and a half west of the village of 
Fertile, remained at home until he reached the age of 
twenty-seven, farming his father's land as a tenant 
for some years. On May 20, 1887, he came to Polk 
county and bought a quarter-section of land adjoining 
his father's. He then took charge of both places and 
now owns both, his home farm comprising 580 acres, 
his first purchase having cost him $3 an acre. He has 
200 acres of the home place in grain and raises beef 
and milch cattle, keeping generally about fifteen milch 
cows. He also owns timber lands, some in St. Louis 
and some in Cook county, which he is holding as in- 
vestments. When he came to this county in 1887 he 
had no cash but owned four horses, a wagon, a plow 
and some other farm implements. 

Mr. Clementsen 's first dwelling on his farm was a 



one-room shack 14 by 16 feet in size. His present 
residence is a fine modern structure built in 1903, and 
he has a first clas.s barn 40 by 72 feet with a T 40 by 
42 feet in dimensions, which was built in 1908 and 
gives him stabling for all his live stock. He is a stock- 
holder in the Co-operative Creameiy company of Fer- 
tile and also in the Farmers Elevator company, which 
he helped to organize in 1894, and which he has served 
for about ten years as president. He was also one of 
the organizers of the Mutual Fire Insurance company 
and has been its president for eight or ten years. 
When he saw that the hour was ripe for the enterprise 
he helped to organize the Farmers State Bank of 
Fertile and of this he has been president from its 
organization. 

The public aifairs of the township have always in- 
terested Mr. Clementsen in a leading way and he has 
taken an active part in them. He served as township 
clerk five years and twelve as chairman of the town- 
ship board, and he is at present (1916) township treas- 
urer. In politics he is a Republican, but in local 
affairs he is never a partisan Init always eager to 
promote the best interests of his township. In reli- 
gious connection he is affiliated with the Varness 
United Lutheran church, which is one mile north of 
his home, and for some time has been secretary of the 
congregation. 

Mr. Clementsen was married in 1896 to Miss Jennie 
Landsverk, a native of Norway. They have seven 
children, all of whom are living at home with their 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



423 



parents. The children are Norman, Josie, Millie, 
Mabel, Ida, Nellie, and William. All the members of 
the family attend the church to which the head of 



the house belongs, and they all take a warm interest 
in it and its work for the betterment of the community. 



HON. JOHN CLEMENTSON. 



This very active, highly useful and thoroughly rep- 
resentative citizen of Polk county, whose fine home 
farm of 160 acres is in section 17, Knute township, 
three miles south of Erskine, was born at Pine Island, 
Goodhue eoiuity, Minnesota, December 6, 1866, and is 
the son of Knute and Gunhild Clemeutsou, who were 
bom in Norway and married in Iowa. In 1857 they 
moved to Goodhue county, this state, where the father 
took up a pre-emption claim, they being among the 
first residents at Pine Island. In their old age they 
changed their residence to Zumbrota, and there the 
mother died in tlie winter of 1913 at the age of eighty- 
nine. There also the father is still living very far 
advanced in years. Three of their children, Nels and 
Marie, who live near Fertile, and John are in Polk 
county. Marie is the wife of P. J. Bollie. 

John Clementsou remained with his parents until 
he reached the age of twenty-five. He completed his 
education at St. Olof College, Northfield, which he at- 
tended two yeai's. In 1893 he came to this county 
and bought 600 acres of railroad land at $8 an acre, 
having about $1,500 to start with. He engaged in 
mixed farming and raising live stock, put 500 acres 
of his land under cultivation, made permanent im- 
provements, and then, in 1903, sold his land at $21.50 
an acre. He helped to organize Seandia township and 
was its first clerk and justice of the peace, holding 
these offices until he left the township, moving to his 
present home. 

When he came to Knute township in 1903 Mr. Clem- 



entson bought three separate tracts of 160 acres each, 
one in section 17, the home place, another in section 18 
and the third in section 20, but he has farmed them 
all as one farm, and now has 275 acres under cultiva- 
tion in the three. There was only one set of little log 
buildings on the three tracts and only 115 acres were 
partially cultivated when he bought the land. Mr. 
Clementson paid for the land at an average of $18 an 
acre, and he has since sold none of it except two acres 
for a school lot. He has put up a good house and barn 
and other necessary buildings, and has kept regularly 
about fifty head of cattle, with fifteen milch cows to 
furnish material for the Co-operative creamery, in 
which he is a stockholder. 

Mr. Clementson has served as chairman of the town- 
ship board one term and for a number of years on the 
school board. In the fall of 1912 he was elected a 
member of the State House of Representatives. 

On March 2. 1893. Mr. Clementson was married in 
Goodhue county to Miss Clara Mithangen, of that 
county. They have had nine children. Gustav died 
at the age of twelve. Conrad, aged nineteen, was 
graduated from the Agricultural College at Crooks- 
ton in 1915. Joseph, aged seventeen, is a .student at 
Concordia College, Moorhead. Cora, aged fifteen, is 
in the high school at Erskine. Oscar (twelve), Philip 
(ten), George (seven), Ruth (five), and Clarence 
(one), are at home. The parents belong to the United 
Lutheran church at Erskine, of which the father is 
secretary and one of the deacons. 



CHARLES M. LOHN. 



It is a high tribute to the ability, correct deport- 
ment and skill and conscientiousness of any man to 
say that he has occupied a trying and important 



public position in the service of the public for nearly 
eighteen years continuously without having any com- 
plaint made against him or his work or a word of 



424 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



disagreement with his superior ofBcers. This has been 
the experience of Charles M. Lohii, reporter of the 
district court at Crookston over which Judge "Watts 
presides. 

Mr. Lolni was born in Mitchell county, Iowa, De- 
cember 18, 1872, and is the youngest member of a 
fauuly of which his brother Lewis, cashier of the 
First National Bank at Fosston is the oldest. He was 
reared and educated in his native count}% completing 
his preparation for the duties of life by a course in 
commercial training at the Cedar Valley Seminary at 
Osage, the county seat of that county. In 1895 he 
came to Crookston and for three years and a half 
thereafter he was employed in the Merchants Na- 
tional Bank of that city. In 1899 he was appointed 



reporter of the district court by Judge Watts, and he 
is now in his eighteenth year of service in that 
position. 

On August 28, 1901, Mr. Lohn was married to 
Mi.ss Mary J. Fairbairn, a native of Stillwater, Min- 
nesota, of Scotch and English ancestry. They have 
four children, Kenneth F., Howard, Lois and Charles 
M., Jr. The parents are active workers in the under- 
takings of the Methodist Episcopal church, to which 
they both belong, and Mr. Lohn is one of its trustees. 
In fraternal relations he is a Freemason, and an Elk 
and he also takes an earnest and helpful interest in 
the affairs of the fraternity. He is zealous in the 
performance of all his duties as a citizen and is highly 
esteemed as a good one. 



ROBERT II. BALFOUR. 



Robert H. Balfour, of Euclid, a well known grain 
dealer and local agent for the Red Lake Falls Mill- 
ing company, was born in Lanark county, Ontario, 
May 8, 1880, and came to the United States when 
seventeen years of age, locating at Fisher, in Polk 
county, where he resided until his removal to Euclid 
in the following year. During the first five years of 
his residence in Euclid he was employed in clerking, 
also spending a short time on a farm and then began 
his association with the grain business with the Min- 
neapolis, Northern, Red Lake Elevator company, who 
operate an elevator at Euclid with a capacity of 
thirty thousand bushels and also retail flour and feed. 
Mr. Balfour i-emained with that company for a num- 
ber of years, until the establishment of the Red Lake 
]\Iilling Company in 1911, when he was put in 



charge of the office at Euclid as the grain buyer for 
that region, and has since given his attention to the 
able management of the extensive operations of this 
company, in the year of 1914, shipping some seventy 
car loads of grain, handling wheat and oats for the 
nio.st part. Mr. Balfour is also agent for the Stand- 
ard Oil company and is in charge of the local tanks. 
In political belief, he is an advocate of the principles 
of the Democratic party and is actively identified with 
the various interests of the community in which he 
lives, in official capacity, giving capable service as 
township assessor. I\Ir. Balfour is a member of the 
Presbyterian church. He was married at Crookston, 
in 1908, to Margaret Bieven, whose father was for 
many vears a farmer near Euclid. 



K. 0. BALSTAD. 



K. 0. Balstad, well known stock farmer of Sletten 
township, was born in Norway, January 4, 1854. He 
has been a resident of Polk county since 1897 and has 
been notably associated with the development of the 



stock business in this region. He came to Minnesota 
with his parents in 1866. For .several years they lived 
in Goodhue county and in 1870, just before the lay- 
ing out of Fergus Falls, they removed to Otter Tail 



1 




XORMAX IIAXSOX 



COIVIPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



425 



county, where his father, Ole E. Balstad, continues 
to make his home. K. 0. Balstad remained on his 
father's farm until he was twenty-one years of age 
when he decided that the cities and towns offered the 
greater opportunities for success. For twenty-two 
years he engaged in various business pursuits, for the 
most part in the mercantile business, in Duluth, Fer- 
gus Falls and other places. During this time he had 
kept in touch with the agricultural growth of the 
country through his investments in farm land and 
association with the stock business and in 1897 he 
reversed his earlier decision and returned to the farm. 
He came to Polk county and bought one hundred and 
sixty acres in section thirty-one of Sletten township, 
he has since added to this tract and now has eight 
hundred and forty acres in the home farm. Much of 
this land and that adjoining was flat and high and 
possessed no natural drainage, which depreciated its 
value and rendered the construction of good roads 
an impossibility. Mr. Balstad, at once, began to give 
every effort to this drainage project. He was the 
manager of some four thousand acres belonging to a 
company in Chicago and with this company he began 
the building of ditches, expending four thousand dol- 
lars to secure the main outlet. Eventually, he re- 
ceived the cooperation of neighboring property own- 
ers and this section is now well drained. Mr. Bal- 
stad is considering further improvement of the drain- 
age system by installing tile. He has devoted his 
farming interests to the raising of stock, achieving 
not only financial success, but he has been instrumen- 
tal in arousing and promoting general interest in the 
breeding of blooded stock, an important phase in 
the development of any agricultural district. He 
raises Hereford cattle and Duroc Jersey hogs. 



Years of experience and study have persuaded him 
that the hardy Hereford stock is peculiarly adapted 
to conditions in northern Minnesota, and he owns 
many fine specimens of this strain and has won honor 
as an exhibitor at the county fairs. Beside forty head 
of registered cattle he keeps a herd of about one hun- 
dred steers and he has sold many fine animals for 
breeding purposes, the greater number of which are 
in Polk county. Clover for grazing and hay is his 
principal crop and one in which he has never had a 
failure. He raises some alfalfa but considers the roll- 
ing land of the region singularly fine clover country. 
He has erected good barns, one being utilized for feed- 
ing purposes alone and his farm is well equipped for 
the successful management of a large stock business. 
Mr. Balstad, also has extensive interests as a dealer in 
farm lands and has met with equal success in all his 
activities, making many profitable investments. He 
is the present owner of the former Bagley farm which 
is located two miles south of Fosston and of three 
hundred and twenty acres, adjoining on the north of 
this estate. His home farm is thirteen miles south- 
west of Fosston and four miles southeast of Winger. 
Mr. Balstad was married in 1885 to Gina H. Weiley 
of Otter Tail county and they have six children, 
Henry 0., a successful young farmer of Sletten town- 
ship, a sketch of whose life is found in this work; 
Manda C, Edward C, Carl 0., Rudolph G., and 
Marvin. The older sons attended the Agricultural 
college at St. Anthony Park and are associated with 
their father in the stock and real estate business under 
the firm name of K. 0. Balstad & Sons, R. F. D. 1, 
Fosston. Mr. Balstad and his family are members 
of the Lutheran church. 



NORMAN HANSON. 



Having begun his business career with no capital 

and in a humble and very poorly paid position, and 

having risen by studious attention to whatever he had 

to do in every position to substantial comfort in a 
27 



worldly way and high esteem among his fellow men, 
as weU as to an exalted rank in business circles, Nor- 
man Hanson, cashier of the bank of Matthews & Co., 
at Fertile, this county, has demonstrated the value of 



426 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



ability, industry and fidelity as means of advancement 
in the world, and has given an excellent example to 
the young niun of the coining generation. 

Mr. Hanson was born on a farm in Allamakee 
county, Iowa, in 1857, the son of Gunder and Kjersti 
Hanson, who were born in Norway. He was the oldest 
in a family of twelve children. The sou worked on the 
farm and attended school until 1877, when he moved 
to Rock county, Minnesota, where he first worked on 
a farm and after\\'ard obtained a position in a general 
store at $12 a month and board. His compensation 
was raised in a short time to .$20 a month and board, 
and at this very moderate wages he continued to 
render faithful sei-yice to his employer until 1880, 
moving then to the Red river valley. 

In this part of the state Mr. Hanson was first em- 
ployed as a day laborer, but before long was given 
a position in a real estate and insurance office in Glyn- 
don, Clay county. Later he accepted employment in 
a general store at $50 a month, and some time after- 
ward was transferred to Ada to take charge of a 
store owned by the same firm at a salary of $75 a 
month, which was soon raised to $100 a month. In 
1887 he took up his residence at Fertile and in part- 



nership with W. H. and E. L. Matthews and F. F. S. 
Miller founded the bank of Matthews & Co. with a 
capital of $10,000, which was furnished by the Messrs 
Matthews and Mr. Miller. During the nearly twenty- 
nine years which have elapsed since then Mr. Hanson, 
has had charge of the operations of this bank, the last 
several years as its president. 

This sound and progressive financial institution is 
now known as the Fii-st State Bank of Fertile. It has 
a capital of $25,000, a surplus of $5,000, individual 
profits amounting to $6,000 and deposits aggregating 
$280,000. It carries on a general banking business, 
and has out loans, bonds and other investments total- 
ing $220,000. Under the skillful and prudent man- 
agement of ]\Ir. Hanson it has grown .steadily and 
flourished continuously, and it is now regarded in 
business circles as one of the best of its rank in the 
northwest. Mr. Hanson now owns a controlling inter- 
est in it and is also interested in several other banks 
in IMinnesota, North Dakota and Montana. He was 
married in 1881 to ]\Iiss Julia Christianson near where 
Fertile now stands. They have had seven children, 
six of whom are living. The oldest son of the family 
is cashier of the bank of which his father is president. 



PETER STUHR. 



For a number of years after reaching his majority 
Peter Stuhr, now one of the leading merchants of 
the village of Euclid, in this county, was an enterpris- 
ing and successful farmer. He was bom in Hanover, 
Germany, April 13, 1868, and is the son of Carsten 
and Elsie (Rogge) Stuhr, also natives of Germany. The 
family came to the United States when Peter was 
about two years old, and about one year later located 
in Goodhue county, Minnesota. In March, 1880, the 
family residence was changed to Polk county, the 
father having taken up a homestead in Section 4, Eu- 
clid township, the year before. 

Peter Stuhr remained at home until 1896 and fol- 
lowed farming until 1899. In the year la.st mentioned 
he moved to Euclid, and during the next five years 



was the agent of the Minneapolis & Northern Grain 
Elevator company at that place. Since 1904 he has 
been engaged in mercantile business at Euclid, con- 
ducting a general store with farm implements as a 
large part of his stock. He has built up an extensive 
trade bj' his enterprise, his knowledge of the needs of 
his community and his excellent management, and is 
now considered one of the leading merchants in his 
part of Polk county. 

On June 2, 1896, Mr. Stuhr was married, at Euclid, 
to Mrs. Bertha Misner, the widow of Wells Misner, 
and a native of "Wisconsin. They have two children 
living, Florence and Gordon, and lost one son who 
died in infancy. Mrs. Stuhr had three children by 
her fir.st marriage, Harold, Vasta and Ruth. Mr. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



427 



Stuhr has taken an active and helpful part in all 
township affairs. For eighteen years he served well 
and wisely as a member of the school board, and he 
has also filled most of the other township offices and 
all with credit to himself and benefit to the township. 



His parents are still living in Euclid township. Their 
six children are Anna, Peter, Katie, Mary, Henry and 
John. Peter owns 360 acres of land near the village 
of Euclid. 



ERICKSON BROTHERS. 



Emil and Martin Ericksou, who carry on a general 
merchandising business at Climax, this county, in 
which they succeeded A. & E. Steeuerson November 
20, 1906, and have been engaged ever since, are sons 
of Hans Erickson, one of the leading farmers of 
Traill count}'. North Dakota. He lives ou a fine farm 
in that county nine miles west of Climax, on which he 
settled in 1877 or 1878, and was one of the pioneers 
of the county. His farm comprises a whole half-sec- 
tion of land and is well improved. He was born and 
reared in Norway, and came to the United States in 
his young manhood, locating in Mitchell county, 
Iowa, and there his son Emil was born, September 20, 
1874. Martin's life began in Traill county. North 
Dakota, December 23, 1880. 

Emil Erickson remained with his parents until he 
reached the age of twenty-five years, then returned 
to Iowa and took up his residence in Worth county, 
opening a hardware and agricultural implement .store 
at Joice. He kept this store seven years and built 
up an extensive trade for it, then sold the business 
and for a year lived in Grand Forks. In 1906 he and 
his brother Hildus bought the business of the Steener- 
sons, at Climax, and the next year Martin joined them 



in the store, taking Hildus' place as a member of the 
firm. Hildus died several years later at Bellmont, 
North Dakota. 

The two enterprising merchants, who are trading 
under the firm name of Erickson Bros., have about 
$10,000 invested in their business and it is very flour- 
ishing. Their trade is growing steadily and their hold 
on the confidence and good will of the people is con- 
stantly increasing and intensifying. They are strictly 
up-to-date business men, and they please the commu- 
nity around them because they study how and try 
hard to do it. They make it their first consideration 
and leading desire to know the needs of their trade 
and their prime undertaking to provide for them. 

Emil Erickson was married at Joice, Iowa, in 1901, 
to Miss Sophia Holstad. They have seven children, 
Reuben, Hazel, ]\Iaynard, Lillian, Gladys, lona and 
Wilma, aU of whom are still with their parents. Mar- 
tin's marriage took place in 1904 and united him with 
Miss Amanda Engen, a daughter of Ole Eugen, of 
Climax, a sketch of whose life will be found in this 
work. Martin and his wife have two children, their 
daughters Vivian and Orpha. The brothers and their 
wives belong to the Lutheran church at Climax. 



OLE KNUDSON. 



Ole Knudson, who is one of Polk county 's advanced, 
enterprising and successful farmers, lives on Section 
10, Roome township, nine miles west of Crookston, 
four and a half north of Eldred and five southeast of 
Fisher, owns 480 acres of excellent land improved 
with good modem buildings and up-to-date conven- 
iences, and carries on extensive operations with great 



vigor, progressiveness and profit to himself and the 
region in which he lives. He was born in Norway, 
September 23, 1848, and came to the United States 
in 1870. After spending some months at Decorah, 
Iowa, he moved to Reed's Landing in "Wabasha county, 
Minnesota, and there he worked on the railroad. 
In the spring of 1871 he began running lumber 



428 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



rafts on the Mississippi river to St. Louis. A steam- 
boat was used to push and steer the rafts, and each 
trip to the Missouri metropolis consumed about three 
weeks. Mr. Knudson next spent two winters as a 
driver in the lumber woods near Menomouie, Wis- 
consin, and at the end of that period made a trip to 
the Black Hills to prospect for gold. He had no luck, 
owing to lack of water, Eind remained in the diggings 
only about one month, leaving there the day of the 
Custer massacre and in the midst of excitement over 
the theft of a pony in the locality by Indians. His 
experience as a gold seeker cost him about $400. 

In 1878 Mr. Knudson decided to turn his atten- 
tion to farming and came to the Red river region in 
search of land for his purpose. He selected a home- 
stead in Section 11, Roome township, and Andrew 
and John Locken, who were then, or afterward became, 
his brothers-in-law, did the same. They all obtained 
railroad land and located on it, building a house and 
living together and doing their own house work. In 
1882 Mr. Knudson sold his laud to the Lockens and 
bought a part of the place on which he now lives in 
Section 10, which was a homestead belonging to Ole 
Lee. 

This homestead was improved with a little log 
shanty and a sod stable, and about twenty-five acres 
of it had been plowed. Mr. Knudson agreed to pay 
Ole Lee $1,800 for it and was soon able to make the 
whole payment. He had broken some 200 acres of 
his first farm and seeded it in wheat. He liarvested 
a good crop from this and got $1.25 a bushel for wliat 
he sold, and so he had money to clear his new home 
of debt. But he had no team with which to cultivate 
the land, and had to work for other farmers to get 
one. He succeeded in buying a team that same year, 



and at once proceeded to devote his attention to his 
own land. 

From this time on Mr. Knudson was in debt for 
thirty years. But he bought eighty acres more for 
$600, an additional tract of 160 for $2,000 and still 
another of eighty for $1,100. His farm is now half 
a mile wide and a mile and a half long, with the build- 
ings at the north end, the house in which he now 
lives having been built in 1891. His crop in 1915 
aggregated 9,000 bushels of wheat, oats and barley. 
He also keeps nine milch cows and furnishes cream 
for ice cream factories in Crookston. His cattle are 
Shorthorns and Holsteins of good quality, and he 
keeps fifteen horses for his work. He has recently in- 
stalled a complete acetylene lighting plant for his 
buildings. 

Mr. Knudson served as chairman of the township 
board for twelve or fourteen years and then refused 
to accept the office longer. He has also been a mem- 
ber of the school board for eighteen years, and has 
taken an active part in all drainage and good roads 
movements in his township. He has been married 
three times. His first wife was Miss Guro Locken, 
sister of John and Andrew Locken, who died three 
years after her marriage, leaving no children. His 
second wife was Miss Mary Locken, a sister of tlie 
first wife. She died a year and a half after her mar- 
riage, leaving one son, George, who is now 26 and still 
with his father. On December 19, 1897, Mr. Knud- 
son solemnized his third marriage, which iinited him 
with Mrs. Josephine Carlson, a widow with one son, 
Wilfred, who is now 27. By her marriage with Mr. 
Knudson she has become the mother of another son, 
Richard, M'ho is 16. Mr. Knudson is a RepTiblican in 
politics and he and his wife and sons belong to the 
Lutheran church. 



OLE CHRISTIANSEN. 



The late Ole Christiansen, who developed and im- 
proved a fine farm of 224 acres in Section 29, Lowell 
township, and who died February 14, 1908, aged fifty- 
five years, was one of the sturdy and sterling citizens 



of Polk county for many years. He was born at Shal- 
land, Denmark, and came with his parents. Christian 
and Caroline Hansen, to the United States and settled 
in Ottertail countv, Minnesota. There the mother 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



429 



died, and sooii afterward tlie father and son moved 
to Polk county, where Mr. Christiansen bought rail- 
road land. Thej' settled here in the j'ear 1878. The 
country at that time was new and unimproved; there 
were few settlers, but the land was soon taken up. 
The farm is on the Red Lake river, and is part timber 
land and part meadow bottom and upland, and the 
latter is devoted to growing grain and hay. 

Mr. Christiansen continued to manage his farm 
until his death. He erected most of the buildings now 
on it and improved it into a fine farm and an attract- 
ive country home. He served in township offices near- 
ly all the years of his life in Polk county, being a 
member of the township board, supervisor, clerk and 
assessor at different times. He was married in this 
county to Miss Anna Olson, who died within one year 
after his demise. They had five children, all of whom 
are living. Carl and Alfred have the real estate. 
Christiana is the wife of Martin Gulseth. Lorena is 
the wife of Otto Nelson, of Polk county and Alice is 
unmarried. 

Alfred is now cultivating the farm. He was born 



on it May 4, 1882, and when he was thirty-one was 
married, in Denmark, March 18, 1914, to Miss Cather- 
ine Marie Christensen. They have one child, their 
daughter Anna Harriet. Mr. Christiansen keeps an 
average of twenty -five head of dairy and beef cattle, 
his milch cows numbering five to twelve according to 
circumstances. He was elected to his first public office, 
that of township clerk, in 1915, and he is giving its 
duties devoted attention and gives the residents of the 
township good satisfaction in his performance of them, 
as it was expected he would when they elected him. 

Carl Christiansen was married to Miss Olga Ek- 
lund, November 4, 1915. He also was born on his 
father's farm in Lowell township. He succeeded his 
father in the office of school treasurer and served in 
it several years. He now owns and operates a thresh- 
ing outfit, and also lives on the farm, and, in partner- 
ship with his brother Alfred is also operating a feed 
mill, and a saw miU on the home farm on the bank of 
Red Lake river, the output of the mill being 40,000 
to 100,000 feet of lumber every winter. 



OLAUS BENSON. 



One of the pu.shing, thriving, up-to-date and suc- 
cessful farmers of Polk county, Minnesota, is Olaus 
Benson, who lives in Section 1, Hubbard township, 
owns 320 acres of land in addition to the farm on 
which he lives and is a member of the firm of Ben- 
son Bros., general merchants, at Neilsville. He was 
bom in Hoi;ston county, Minnesota, April 3, 1868, 
and is the sou of Bendick and Gunhild Breiland, his 
surname being formed by the addition of the suffix 
"son" to part of his father's given name, according 
to the Norwegian custom. The mother died in Hous- 
ton county, in 1871, leaving five children, of which 
two still live, Annie and Olaus. The former is living 
near Gonvick, in Clearwater county, this state. 

The father was married twice afterward. His sec- 
ond wife had one son, Halvor Benson, who is in part- 
nership wrni Olaus in the store at Neilsville. A few 



mouths after the family located in Polk county the 
second wife died. The third wife had two childi'en, 
Andrew, who is living on his father 's homestead near 
Trail, in Polk county, Minnesota, and Geline, who is 
married and has her home at Duluth. The family came 
to this county in 1880, and the father lived here until 
1887, when he took up a homestead near Trail, where 
he died in 1910. 

Olaus Benson began to work out for wages early in 
life and gave part of his earnings to his parents. But 
by the time he reached the age of twenty-one he had 
$300 saved. He then rented a farm belonging to Tollof 
Tollofson, an uncle of Olaus' half brother, Halvor, 
whom Tollofson reared. Olaiis married Mr. Tollofson 's 
only child, Turin, and when her father died she inher- 
ited his farm of 185 acres. Mr. Tollofson was born in 
Norway and came to the United States before the Civil 



430 



COMPENDIU.M OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



war. He served iu that war for three years iu a Wis- 
eousin regimeut, and came to Red River valley in 1871, 
one of the first settlers. He lived there until he died, 
in 1890. His wife, Sigred, died in 1905. 

Mr. Benson has built one of the best country resi- 
dences in Polk county on his farm, which comprises 
320 acres in addition to the Tollofson land, and on 
this he raises large crops of grain and potatoes. His 
crop in 1915 amounted to 4,000 bushels of wheat, 2,000 
of barley, 1,500 of oats and an abundant yield from 
forty acres of potatoes. He keeps regularly thirty 
head of good cattle, employs two men all the time, owns 
his threshing outfit, plows with a tractor engine and 



uses an automobile for driving and hauling. He and 
his wife are the parents of one child, their daughter, 
Gina; and Ilanna Arneson is reared at the Benson 
home. 

In 1905 Mr. Benson and his half-brother, Halvor, 
started a general store at Neilsville. Halvor has been 
in charge of the store ever since, while Olaus has given 
his attention mainly to his farming operations. Both 
eutei'prises have flourished through careful manage- 
ment and good business ability, and both are steadily 
growing in value and the volume of their operations, 
and the men at the head of them are everywhere held 
in high and general esteem by all who know them. 



OLE 0. ROMO. 



Having come to this county about thirty-six years 
ago with no earthly possessions except about $20 
saved out of slender and hard-earned wages paid him 
in another county in this state, and having acquired 
the ownership of 200 acres of well-improved and pro- 
ductive laud and other property by his industry, thrift 
and good management, Ole 0. Romo, one of the sub- 
stantial and enterprising farmers of Vineland town- 
ship, has made his time and ability tell greatly to his 
advantage and worked out a career of usefulness and 
success that is highly creditable to him. 

Mr. Romo was born iu the ancient and historic city 
of Trondhjem, Norway, July 7, 1860, and was 
brought to the United States by his parents, Ole and 
Kjersti Romo, when he was nine years old. The fam- 
ily settled on eighty acres of railroad land about 
thirty miles southwest of Red Wing, Minnesota, and 
there the parents died some years later. Of their 
seven children only Ole and his sister, Mrs. Charles 
Nelson, are residents of Polk county. The others are 
living in different parts of Minnesota and the adjoin- 
ing state of North Dakota. 

Ole 0. Romo came to this county in 1880 with his 
sister and her husband, Charles Nelson, and worked 
for the latter, breaking nearly all of his land, includ- 
ing the part that now lies in the village of Climax. 
He next worked for Levi Steenerson, who lived at 



that time in a little cabin about where his present 
residence stands. He was with Mr. Steenerson six 
years, and at the end of that period had .$700 to invest 
in a farm for himself. He bought the homestead of 
Ole Bramseth, a pioueer, in Section 28, Vineland town- 
ship, one mile and a half cast of Climax, agi'eeing to 
pay $1,630 for the 160 acres of land, whose improve- 
ments consisted of a little log house, a stable and a 
granary, all covered with straw and sod. The land 
was nearly all plowed and Mr. Romo was allowed ten 
or eleven years in which to complete his payments on it, 
and these he at once began to make provision for. 

Soon after taking possession of his farm Mr. Romo 
built a small frame house on it, and that lie and his 
family occupied until a few years ago, when the pres- 
ent dwelling was erected, as were the barn and other 
buildings. Becoming at once an intensive farmer, 
Init devoting his forces mainly to raising grain, he 
prospered from the start. His crop in 1915 averaged 
30 bushels of wheat and 53 bushels of oats to the acre. 
He keeps a good-sized drove of cattle, including nine 
or ten milch cows, and owns stock in the co-operative 
creamery, the co-operative store and the telephone 
company at Climax. In addition, he has bought forty 
acres of other land and has a lot and house in the 
village of Climax. 

Mr. Romo was married just before he located on 













■ 






^^H 


^HF ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^1 






^^^1 


mi' '^n^^^^^l 






^ 










V, JjHp'^''^. ^^^^^^^^H 






1 















ANDREW J. KELL^Y 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



4J1 



his farm to Mrs. Sigre Amuudsou, a native of Norway, 
and the widow of Ole Amundson, who had a farm of 
145 acres in Hubbard township. She had oue child 
by her fii-st marriage, Alfred Amundson, who is a 
farmer in Hubbard township. By her second mar- 
riage Mrs. Romo has become the mother of seven chil- 
dren : Oscar, who is cultivating her farm in Hubbard 
township; Oliver, who is variously employed in the 
neighborhood; Clara and Thea, who are employed in 
the central telephone office in Climax; Bertha, who 



is living at home ; Josie, who is a high school student 
in Climax, and Olga, who is attending the district 
school there. 

The members of the family all belong to Skatvold 
Lutheran church, of which Mr. Romo is the treasurer 
and one of the trustees. He has also served as town- 
ship supervisor for three years and is now president 
of the school district. He is a director of the co- 
operative store and tlie co-operative creamery at 
Climax, also treasurer for the Ladies Aid at Skatvold. 



ANDREW J. KELLEY. 



Andrew J. Kelley, whose pleasant home is located 
on the Red Lake river one mile and a half east of 
Crookston, is a scion of a military family, and was 
himself a valiant soldier in our Civil war, and during 
that momentous struggle gloriously did he sustain the 
examples and spirit of his family. His grandfather, 
Andrew Kelley, was a soldier in the Revolution and 
fought under Washington. His father, John Kelley, 
was a soldier in the War of 1812, and he also fought 
under Harrison at Tippecanoe, where he was left on 
the field as dead from a tomahawk woimd from the 
effects of which he died young. Andrew J. served 
three years in the Union army, Company E, Seven- 
teenth Michigan infantry, from 1862 to the close of 
the war, and his son Edwin, the present sheriff of 
Polk coimty, was a soldier in the Spanish-American 
war, of short endurance but decisive results. 

Andrew J. Kelley was born in La Grange county, 
Indiana, September 2, 1845, and moved to Adrian, 
Michigan, where he passed his boyhood and youth. He 
enlisted in 1862, served to the close of the conflict and 
received a medal for specially meritorious conduct in 
trying situations. He took part in more than thirty 
battles and had some very trying experiences, being 
selected at different times for particularly hazardous 
duties. Space is not available for a detailed account 
of his military exploits, but on one occasion he volun- 
teered to burn a house in which the Confederates were 
quartered and steadily picking off the flower of the 



Union command, and in company with five others suc- 
cessfully achieved the result desired. 

After the war Mr. Kelley became an officer in the 
Michigan state prison. One of the prisoners had a 
book describing the Red river country, and this in- 
duced Mr. Kelley to come to this region in 1872. Rail- 
road operations were almost suspended in this locality 
at the time, and he journeyed from Glyndon to Crooks- 
ton on a hand car, his wife being with him and holding 
the present sheriff of the county in her arms. He 
selected a homestead in the northwest quarter of sec- 
tion 28, Crookston township, two miles northeast of 
Crookston and about one mile from the Red Lake 
river. 

Spending the summer in the shack on his home- 
stead, Mr. Kelley found the conveniences of life almost 
wholly lacking in his neighborhood. The settlers put 
a sail on a flat car and with this would run to Glyndon 
for groceries when the wind was favorable, and there 
they would remain until it shifted so that it would 
bring them back, as the trains on the railroad were 
not running regularly. Mr. Kelley was married in 
1869 to Miss Ella A. Fleming, a daughter of Rev. S. 
Fleming, D. D., a Presbyterian clergyman in Indiana. 
In May, 1873, his wife and children joined him on 
the homestead. His house was the only one on the 
prairie between Crookston and Red Lake agency. In- 
dians often visited it for food, but they never showed 
any violence. Sometimes they brought their wives and 



432 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



children with them. Elk and other large game were 
plentiful, and all the incidents of frontier life were 
at hand. 

Since settling here Mr. Kelley has given his atten- 
tion mainly to his farm. But he has served as town- 
ship clerk since the organization of the township. In 
the course of time he acquired another quarter-section 
of land and later bought forty acres on the bank of 
Red Lake river, and on this tract he now has his home. 
His principal dependence for many years was raising 
grain, but during the last fifteen he has given a great 
deal of attention to dairj'ing. 

Mrs. Kelley is a native of Michigan and she and 
Mr. Kelley were married at Burr Oak in that state. 
They have seven children: Herbert, a civil engineer, 
whose home is now in Vancouver, British Columbia ; 



Edwin Fleming, who is now (1916) sheriff of Polk 
county; Clara, who is the wife of Bert Cochrane, of 
Crookston ; Mabel, who is the wife of David Fleming, 
a member of the Crookston police force; Maude, who 
is the wife of M. J. 'Boyle, a machinist in Crookston ; 
and Lulu and Leonard H., who are stiU membei-s of 
the parental family circle. The parents are members 
of the Congregational church and were among its first 
communicants. ]Mr. Kelley was the first Sunday 
school superintendent in Crookston, presiding over a 
union Sunday school which he started in 1874, and 
he has been continuously interested in Sunday school 
work since. In political faith he is a Republican Pro- 
hibitionist, and rejoices in now seeing Crookston 
"di*y," which it never was until veiy recently. 



MICHAEL QUIRK. 



This extensive, enterprising and successful farmer 
of Polk county, who managed all his own land until 
a short time ago, has been a resident of the United 
States for about fifty-four years and of Polk county, 
Minnesota, about forty-five years. He was bora in 
County Galway, Ireland, some seventy-five years ago, 
and left his native land for America while our country 
was in the terrible throes of the war between the North 
and South. He landed at New York and for some 
years was employed in railroad work in that state, 
Pennsylvania, and the states westward a.s far as l\Iis- 
souri. 

In 1872 he was in St. Louis, Missouri, and fi'om 
that city, in company with Barney Haggerty and 
Mattie Martin, all of whom were unmarried except 
Mr. Haggerty, he traveled by boat up the Mississippi 
to St. Paul and from there overland to Moorhead. 
At the place last named they heard accounts of the 
value of the land farther down the Red river, and 
all of them came to Polk county and all squatted on 
unsurveyed land. Patrick Quigley joined the party 
at Moorhead, and he also took up land. 

When the land was surveyed Mr. Quirk filed a 



homestead claim on his tract of 160 acres, and he now 
owns, in addition to his homestead, a whole half-sec- 
tion in Fisher township and another fai-m of 160 acres 
in Tynsid township, the homestead being in Section 
15, Tynsid township, and bordering on the Red river. 
For many years Mr. Quirk farmed all of these farms 
and got large returns from them. He came to this 
county with only about .$500. His first home in it 
was a little log cabin, and his first team was a yoke 
of oxen. The log cabin has been replaced by a com- 
modious and comfortable frame house, and the oxen 
have given way to horses and steam and gasoline mo- 
tive power. Thus the hard.v and adventurous pioneer 
of the W'ilderness has kept pace with the progress of 
events and improvement, and he has shown himself 
to be of a progressive and productive nature, and well 
qualified to make the most of his opoprtunities, sur- 
roundings and resources. But he has devoted his en- 
ergies wholly to the requirements of his farming in- 
dustry, raising wheat as his main crop, and has never 
held or sought a public office, although he has been in- 
terested in the development of his locality and done his 
part to promote that with ardor and intelligence. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



433 



Mr. Quirk was married three years after comiug to 
this county to Miss Lizzie Lealos, also a uative of Ire- 
land but residing at Red Lake at the time of her mar- 
riage. Their offspring numbered eight, three sons and 
five daughters. Of the sons Edward is living on a 
farm near that of his father. John is a resident of 
Bygland township, and Matthew is cultivating the 
home place. Only four of the daughters are living, 



the oldest, Maggie, having died in early life. Annie 
is the wife of John Gannaw of Grand Porks. Lizzie 
and Mamie are living at home, and Delia is the wife of 
Patrick Quigley, the nearest neighbor of the home 
family. Mr. Quirk is a Democrat in political faith and 
allegiance and all the members of his family belong 
to the Catholic church at Pisher. 



ODIN J. BJORNSTAD. 



Although he is one of the younger farmers of Polk 
county and also one of the youngest of the public offi- 
cials of his township, Odin J. Bjornstad, who lives on 
Section 24, Hubbard township, one mile west of Neils- 
ville, is one of the most aggressive grapplers with prob- 
lems involving advanced agriculture for the welfare 
of his locality and public interests for the good of the 
whole county now residing in this part of the state 
of Minnesota. And he has already made a record for 
progressiveness and breadth of view that would be 
creditable to a man much more advanced in years and 
experience. 

Mr. Bjornstad was born on the farm on which he is 
now living October 15, 1886, the son of J. J. and Karen 
Bjornstad, natives of Norway, who came to the United 
States and direct to Polk county in 1875 and at once 
took up a homestead which is a part of the present 
family home. They had only $1 when they arrived 
here, and Mrs. Bjornstad went to Grand Forks to get 
employment for her support, while her husband lived 
in a dugout and did his own cooking until they got a 
start in the New World. A little later he built a little 
log cabin on his land, but still worked out for his liv- 
ing, being employed by his brother-in-law, Nels Pauls- 
rud. 

Times have mended for the family since then, and 
in the course of a few years Mr. Bjornstad, the elder, 
bought an additional quarter-section from the estate 
of his brother Hans, who took it up as a homestead 
on which he died. J. J. Bjornstad cultivated the whole 
half-section until 1909, when his son Odin took charge 



of it, and the father has since lived retired from active 
pursuits but maintained his home on the farm. He and 
his wife became the parents of .seven children, five of 
whom are living. Mary has her home with her par- 
ents. Eliza is the wife of George Burd, of Hubbard 
township. Odin J. has charge of the home farm. Net- 
tie has taught in the schools of Ottertail county in this 
state and during the last five years in those of North 
Dakota. She is now teaching in the high school at 
Hillsboro in that state. Hans is living on the farm 
with his parents. 

Odin J. Bjornstad completed his academic educa- 
tion at Concordia College, in Moorhead, from which 
he was graduated in 1907, in the classical course. Since 
assuming control of the farm he has made a specialty 
of raising potatoes, devoting about seventy acres to 
this one product annually. He Ls a partner with T. A. 
Thompson in the ownership and operation of the potato 
warehouse at Neilsville and has a one-half interest in 
it. They store about 18,000 bushels of potatoes in 
this warehouse and they are all held for seed, the Red 
River Ohios being the favorite species, and the most 
of their stock is shipped to Kansas City, Missouri, more 
than 300 carloads being sent from Neilsville to that 
mart for seed in 1914. 

Mr. Bjornstad has also taken a warm and helpful 
interest in the public affairs of his locality and is at 
present (1916) chairman of the township board and in 
the third year of his service as such. He is independent 
in political affairs. Like the other members of his 
family he belongs to St. Peter's United Lutheran 



434 



C0MPEND1U.M OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



church aud he has been for some years secretary of aci-es of land in Traill county, North Dakota, three 
the congregation. He is unmarried. In addition to miles west of Neilsville, which he has farmed by a 
his holdings in Polk county, Minesota, he owns 285 tenant. 



THEODORE M. BOYER. 



Theodore M. Beyer, who is now one of the leading 
merchants at Beltrami, was born in Wisconsin, July 
31, 1870, and was brought by his parents to Becker 
county, Minnesota, the next year. His parents, Peter 
0. and Barbro Boyer, are still living in Becker county, 
where the son was reared to the age of eighteen on the 
home fann. He began his education in the district 
schools and completed the academic part of it at a 
college in St. Paul and the State Normal school in 
Moorhead. He also pursued a special course of train- 
ing for business at a commercial school in St. Paul. 

After leaving school Mr. Boyer clerked in a general 
store in Steele county. North Dakota, for a year and 
a half and after that in a store in Becker county, this 
state, for two years. On March 9, 1897, he came to 
Polk county, and for a short time clerked in a store 
at Climax. He was then appointed postmaster at 
Eldred, receiving the appointment in May. By June 
he had completed the second building and the first store 
house in the new village and opened the first store 
there. He had about $1,500 to start the store with, 
including the building, and he kept the store until the 
spring of 1912, a periocl of fifteen years. 

In 1903, in partnership with his brothers, M. P. and 
C. A. Boyer, he opened his present store at Beltrami 
under the firm name of Bover Bros. & Co. M. P. 



Boyer had been associated with him in conducting the 
store at Eldi-ed, but in 1903 he took charge of the 
Beltrami store, and later he returned to Eldred, where 
he died January 3, 1912. The other brother, C. A. 
Boyer, was in charge of the Beltrami store one year. 
After that Theodore took charge of it, and he has since 
been its sole proprietor. He liandles all kinds of farm 
pi'oduce, uses $8,000 to $10,000 in his business and 
employs two clerks. His trade has grown from the 
start and is steadily increasing all the time. 

Mr. Boyer served as treasurer of Roome township 
two years while living there. He was married at 
Eldred on June 1st in 1890 to Miss Angeline Arness, 
a daughter of Alexander P. and Randine Arness, who 
are now residents of Fisher, in this county. Mrs. 
Boyer was born in Norway but brought by her parents 
to Polk county, Minesota,, when she was eight years 
old. She and her husband are the parents of five 
children, Pereival, Alexander, Theobald, Ruth and 
Lucille. Mr. Boyer, in fraternal relations, belongs to 
the Order of Woodmen and takes an active interest in 
its welfare, and of which he was venerable consul for 
one year and clerk for five years. After moving to 
Beltrami he has served on the village board as council- 
man for six years. 



JOHN 0. CHRISTI ANSON. 



John 0. Christianson, who owns and lives on a fine 
farm in Section 10, Garfield township, on which he 
located in 1892, is one of the enterpi-ising, progressive 
and succes.sful farmers of Polk county and enjoys the 
respect and confidence of all who know him. He was 
born in Allamakee county, Iowa, October 14, 1864, 
his parents having located there just prior to the Civil 



war and his father's brother three or four years earlier. 
They both took up government land, and in 1880, the 
parents of John 0., who were Ole and Anna Christian- 
son, moved to this county and took up a homestead 
in Garfield township, which is now owned and occu- 
pied by their son Otto. 

John 0. Christiansen's farm, which comprises 160 



COMPEiNDIUM OP HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



435 



acres, is located three miles and a half northeast of 
Fertile, and is now under cultivation to the extent of 
ninety-five acres. He bought it in 1892 at $16 an 
acre. Fifty acres were then in a partial state of culti- 
vation, but the land had on it no buildings fit to use. 
He built a log house, of logs cut in hLs own timber 
mainly, and chose an excellent location for it on an 
elevation thirty-five feet above Lake Arthur, an ex- 
panse of 200 acres, which it overlooks, and in the midst 
of a beautiful grove. The other improvements on the 
farm are also of good quality. 

Mr. Christianson raises grain, hay and mixed live 
stock, one of his specialties being white Chester hogs. 
He keeps ten cows for milk for the Co-operative Cream- 
ery company at Fertile, in which he is a stockholder. 
He served as road overseer for a number of years 
and as a member of the school board for a long time. 
His first venture in land in this county was on a 
homestead in Onstad township, and his brother Ole 
took up the present farm as a homestead for himself. 
Later John 0. sold his homestead in Onstad township 



and bought his brother Ole's, on which he is now liv- 
ing. Ole is in the real estate and insurance business 
in Crookston. 

In 1889 Mr. Christianson was united in marriage 
with Miss Carrie Nesseth, a sister of the late Thomas 
II. Nesseth, a sketch of whose life will be found in 
this volume. Ten children have been born of the 
union, and nine of them are living. Henry 0. has 
been operating a threshing outfit for six years. Albert 
M. has a homestead in Canada on which he lives. 
AVilliam T., Clifford I., George N. and John ai'e living 
at home and helping to operate the farm. Mabel S. 
i.s the teacher of the school near the family home. She 
is a graduate of the high school at Fertile and of a 
course of training at the Moorbead Normal school. 
Clara and Lillie are living at home with their par- 
ents. All the members of the family belong to the 
Little Norway United Lutheran church. Mr. Chris- 
tianson 's father donated three acres of ground for the 
church site and the cemetery belonging to it. 



F. GUY STEARNS. 



As proprietor of the Climax Roller Mills, which 
make 100 barerls of flour a day for merchant and cus- 
tom trade, supplying a large local and an extensive 
Eastern market, F. Guy Stearns is carrying on a very 
useful industry and ministering in a substantial way 
to the comfort and general welfare of his fellow men 
as well as to the industrial and commercial consequence 
of his home township, coimty and state. The mills 
were built in 1898 by Brasseth Bros, at a cost of nearly 
$20,000. They have five double stands of rollers and 
a feed roll, and are operated by water and steam 
power. In 1909 the mills were bought by Messrs. Nel- 
son & Gilbertson, and in 1913 Mr. Stearns purchased 
them and has made many improvements in them, hav- 
ing installed modern machinery throughout. He is 
now installing an electric light plant to supply the 
mills and the village of Climax with light. The plant 
M'ill be one of thirty horse-power and the current of 



220 volt D. C. strength. It should be stated that Mr. 
Stearns manufactures in his mills a cream of wheat 
food and also Graham flour in addition to the large 
quantities of wheat flour he turns out. 

Mr. Stearns was born in "Webster City, Hamilton 
county, Iowa, in 1879, and learned his trade as a 
miller and all the details of the flour-making industry 
under the instruction of his father, who was in charge 
of a large mill in Webster City, where the father and 
son had built the Stearns mill. The son spent eleven 
years as owner and manager of the Webster City mills. 
He then sold them and in 1910 went to North Dakota, 
where for three years he was manager of a flour mill, 
grain elevator and electric light plant at Walhalla, 
North Dakota, until he bought the mill at Climax and 
became a resident of Polk county, Minnesota, in 1913. 
He served as a justice of the peace in North Dakota 
and has served as a member of the village council of 



436 



COMPENDIUM OP HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



Climax and is now president of the Climax Community 
Development Association. 

In fraternal relations Mr. Stearns is connected with 
the Ma.sonic Order and its auxiliary, the Order of the 
Eastern Star, of which his wife is also a member, 
the Order of Elks and the Order of Woodmen. He 
was married in Illinois in 1903, to Mis.s Geneva Mer- 
shon, daughter of Dr. J. I. Mershon, a native of Mount 



CarroU, Illinois. They have four children, Robert 
Maynard, Dorothy Florence, Frances Jeannette and 
Raymond Guy. At stated periods, when the father 
needs relief from the exacting cares of his business 
and physical recreation he seeks them in fishing and 
hunting trips, which never fail to give him the benefit 
he looks for. 



WILT,TA:M FLEMING. 



With his early manhood filled with hard.ships, pri- 
vations and adventures and his later years devoted to 
arduous toil in the struggle for advancement and the 
full development of the land on which he squatted 
when other human habitations around it were few and 
far apart, William Fleming, who is now living retired 
at 501 Nortli Third street in East Grand Forks, has 
had an interesting career. He battled bravely with 
adversity and through all circumstances and conditions 
he maintained his steadiness of pui-pose, and in the 
course of time he won a substantial triumph over all 
obstacles and wrung from unwilling fate a comfortable 
competence for life. 

Mr. Fleming was born in Lanarkshire, Scotland, 
November 24, 1835, and emigrated to Hamilton, On- 
tario, Canada, in 1860. He was a farmer in his native 
land and in Canada, and wa.s constantly on the look- 
out for better opportunities in his chosen occupation. 
In 1867 he came to Olmsted county, Minnesota, and 
during the next four years worked at railroad ])uild- 
ing and in other lines, and in 1871 he became a resi- 
dent of this county. Before leaving Canada he was 
married to Miss ilary Ann Dodds, a native of Dum- 
fermline, Scotland, and when he settled in Polk county 
they had two children. At that time Mr. Fleming had 
about $500 in money and two yoke of cattle, but after 
being one day on the road to this county, when near 
Rochester, his cattle wandered off into the brush and 
for four days were lost to him. A heifer and calf 
that went with the cattle were never recovered, but 
the yoke cattle were, and for some time were of great 
service to him. 



At Rochester Mr. Fleming fell in with Robert Coul- 
ter and Thomas McVeety, known as "Long Tom," 
who had yoke teams and were on their way to Canada. 
Mr. Coulter was married and had his wife and two 
children with him, but Mr. McVeety was single. They 
traveled together and reached the Red river, which 
they swam and then moved down the west bank to 
"The Salts," about twenty miles north of where 
Grand Forks now stands, there being no settlement 
there at that time. At that place their longing for 
Canada ceased and they decided to locate in Minne- 
sota. They chose a region on Red Lake river about 
seven miles east of what is now East Grand Forks and 
all settled close together. The Hudson Bay company 
had a store at the Forks, and they made their head- 
quarters in this, until they swam their cattle across 
the river to get to their land. They were almost alone 
in the wilderness, N. C. Nash, a ]\Ir. Hunt and a Mrs. 
^Vlley being the only persons within miles of them, and 
they had come that spring. 

For awhile our adventurers lived under a tree and 
began at once to break their land. They got fifteen 
acres broken the first year, and then had a long fight 
with the blackbirds in getting their seed covered, and 
they also planted a few potatoes. Mr. Fleming used 
his yoke teams for some years, then traded them for 
horses, which he found more satisfactory. In winter 
he took a load of lumber to Grand Forks, a distance of 
seven miles in a straight line, but eighteen traveling on 
the ice on the Red Lake river. In March the ice 
broke under his team and he lost both of his horses, 
during the deepening gloom of a dark night, and 



COMPENDIUM OP HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



437 



within eighty rods of his home. The Sioux and Chip- 
pewa Indians were frequent visitors at his home, and 
they would dig potatoes and do other work for food. 
He huilt a log house as soon as he was able, and his 
neighbors did the same, each putting up one for him- 
self. Upon one occasion three bears were shot within 
a few rods of the log house. 

In the course of a few years Mr. Fleming became 
the owner of 423 acres of land, through which he 
gave the railroad company a right of way. He raised 
grain and live stock, good horses and Shorthorn cattle, 
and was the first man in his locality to own an im- 
ported stallion. 

By his first marriage Mr. Fleming became the father 
of ten children, one of whom died in infancy. His 
son John died of fever January 26, 1894, aged twenty- 
two, and his son Robert of the same illness two days 
earlier at the age of twenty. The children who are 
living are : William, who is a farmer in California ; 
Mary, who is the wife of John Silcox and lives in 



Saskatchewan, Canada; David, who is a member of 
the police force in Crookston; Margaret, who mar- 
ried Thomas Cameron and is also a resident of Sas- 
katchewan ; Isabel, who is Mrs. John Chaplin, of Sas- 
katchewan ; Thomas, who is living on the old family 
homestead, and Frank, who is a mechanic and a resi- 
dent of East Grand Forks. 

In 1898 Mr. Fleming revisited Scotland, and on his 
return he built the fine dwelling house now on his 
farm. He has also put up good barns and other struc- 
tures needed on the farm at a cost of $6,000. He has 
taken a very active and helpful part in the affairs of 
the Bethel Presbyterian church, which he helped to 
build, on the bank of the Marias river, and which all 
the members of his family living near enough attend 
regularly. 

Mrs. Fleming died in California October 23, 1903, 
and in November, 1911, he sold the place and moved 
to his present residence in East Grand Forks. 



ASA ALVERN MERRILL. 



Owning 480 acres of well-drained, highly improved 
and very productive land in sections 33, 34 and 35, 
in Nesbit township, and knowing how to farm it to 
the best advantage, the late Asa A. Merrill was one 
of the substantial and prosperous farmers of Polk 
county, and he was what he was because he had the 
ability, pluck and self-reliance to make himself so. 
He was born in the state of New York May 14, 1861, 
and was something more than a year older than his 
brother, C. A. Merrill, a sketch of whom, containing 
the family history, is published in this volume. 

Mr. Merrill came to Minnesota with his parents 
after a residence of some time in Boone county, Illi- 
nois. He remained at home until February 16, 1887, 
when he was united in marriage with Miss Mary 
Speiser, a native of Germany, who came to this coun- 
try alone when she was twenty years of age. She 
lived with her brothers in Minneapolis and visited 
Polk county, and she thus became acquainted with 



Mr. Merrill, to whom she was a helpmate in the best 
and most serviceable significance of the term. 

After his man-iage Mr. Merrill formed a partner- 
ship with his brother, A. C, and together they pur- 
chased their father's farm, on which A. C. afterward 
lived. The partnership was dissolved at the end of 
two years, and then Asa A. Merrill moved to the farm 
on which he lived until his death. His father gave 
him this 160 acres unimproved and without buildings 
of any kind, the son having erected the buildings now 
standing on the farm in 1889 at a cost of over $4,000. 

Mr. Merrill, after living some years on his first 160 
acres, bought 160 acres more in section 35 and another 
in section 34, making 480 acres in all. He also owned 
a tract of timber land on the Red Lake river. 

For the prairie land he owned Mr. Merrill paid $20 
an acre. He raised grain on a large scale and farmed 
in the most enterprising and progressive manner after 
he got his land drained and in a condition to work 



438 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



with some degree of certainty. A picture still extant 
showing him and his force engaged in harvesting one 
season exhibits a long line of reapers with plentj' of 
men to iiandle their operations. His plan was to har- 
vest, thresh his grain, stack his straw and do his plow- 
ing all at one time and with the same motive power, 
and he employed thirty hands in this work. 

But he did not reach this leading position among 
the farmers of the county without many disasters and 
misfortunes. For years hail storms destroyed his 
crops. At other times the heat in dry seasons burned 
them lip, and at still others the land was so wet that 
it would not produce much. One year the whole crop 
on 400 acres was lost. But in time the ditch was dug, 
and after that conditions were far better and prosper- 



ity came rapidly and kept coming with steadily in- 
creasing volume. 

Mr. I\Ierrill served as treasurer of Nesbit township 
three years, and as school director of his district many 
more. Fraternally he was a member of the Ancient 
Order of United Workmen, and in religious matters 
was friendly to all churches but favored none in par- 
ticular. He died July 20, 1914, and, as he was a reso- 
lute and energetic man, was his own manager to the 
time of his death. He and his wife were the parents 
of four children. Myrtie was drowned in the Rfld 
Lake river at the age of thii'teen. Ira is operating the 
farm. Floy is the wife of E. F. Hollands, an engineer, 
and lives in Winnipeg, and Arthur is still living with 
his mother, who continues to live on the farm. 



GEORGE COULTER. 



This gentleman, who built up and developed the 
Forest Home stock farm of 800 acres in Huntsville 
township, this county, and gave it a national reputa- 
tion, turned his attention to a new enterprise, that of 
clearing, improving and transforming into a good 
farm 320 acres of brash land iu Beltrami county, ten 
miles south of Bemidji. He bviilt his dwelling near 
a fine spring on the farm and at once began cleaning 
np the land. In the two years of effort which he has 
devoted to this work he has cleared seventy-five acres 
and built two miles and a half of good road, being still 
very enterprising, although well advanced in age. He 
paid $20 an acre for his land and it is now worth 
.$.35 and steadily increasing in value. 

Mr. Coulter was born in County Lanark, Ontario, 
January 31, 1856, and became a resident of Polk 
County about 1875. He took a homestead at what is 
now the village of Mallory on the Great Northern rail- 
road, and on this he lived about ten years, several of 
them as a bachelor and doing his own housework, often 
having other young men visiting him. His next home 
was the renowned Forest Home stock farm, which is 
now occupied by his son George. He bought a small 
part of this at fir.st and kept on increasing it until he 



now owns 800 acres in one body in this farm. He con- 
ducted it.s cultivation and live stock industry until 
1912, when he turned it over to his son. 

On this farm Mr. Coulter, the elder, bred Aberdeen- 
Angus cattle for beef and exhibition, and showed 
specimens at local and state fairs in Minnesota, win- 
ning many first prizes, keeping up the industry until 
he left the farm and sometimes raising 100 head of 
beef cattle in a year, but selling most of his product 
for breeding purposes. He also bred and exhibited 
Scotch collie dogs, being an enthusiast in these as well 
as iu Aberdeen- Angus cattle. 

The Forest Home stock farm is composed in part 
of railroad and school land and the residence on it is 
on the bank of Red Lake river in a fine location. A 
good house which Mr. Coulter had previously built 
was destroyed by fire in 1906. Grain was his principal 
agricultural product while he managed the farm, and 
of this he was one of the most extensive producers in 
Polk county, but he was also a leader in the live stock 
industry, and takes no backward place in any line of 
endeavor in which he engages. 

On May 1, 1882, when there was a foot of snow on 
the ground, Mr. Coulter was married in Grand Forks 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



439 



to Miss Agnes Brown, a daughter of Aaron Brown 
of East Grand Forks, a sketch of whom appears in 
this work. She was not yet seventeen at the time of 
her marriage, but she at once took charge of the house- 
keeping at the old homestead, and there one daughter 
was born in the family. She and tive of the subse- 
quent children are living, one having died in infancy. 
Margaret is the wife of Jesse Coulter, at The Point 
on Red River, and has four children, Clara, William, 
Kenneth and Myra. George L., who has charge of the 
stock farm, married Miss Mary Cole and has two 



children, Lorna and Robert. Harriet, a graduate of 
the Agricultural college at Crookston, is the wife of 
Irving Bjerke, of Bemidji. Florence, who completed 
her education at the University of North Dakota, is 
the wife of Benjamin Dietz and lives on her father's 
old homestead. She has two children, her daughters, 
Agnes and Jean. Alvin and Elsie are living with 
their parents, the latter being a student at the high 
school in Ea.st Grand Forks. All the members of the 
family have been reared in and hold to the Presby- 
terian church. 



OLOF ERICKSON. 



Almost single handed and alone this hardy adven- 
turer dared the dangers and defied the hardships and 
prirations of the frontier when he located on 160 acres 
of the farm he now occupies in Section 34, Fisher 
township, this county, which he took as a homestead 
in 1874. He was then the resident dwelling farthest 
south in this region, but Andrew and Nels Malmberg, 
who came with him, were perhaps not very far away. 
They had all worked on the Northern Pacific railroad, 
and the Malmbergs had helped to build it into Crooks- 
ton. On February 21st and 22d Mr. Erickson walked 
from Glyndon to Crookston alone, a distance of 68 
miles. In April, 1874, he dug a cellar and put up a 
log house. No trains went to Crookston that winter. 

Mr. Erickson was born in Sweden April 12, 1843, 
and remained in that country until he reached the age 
of twenty-six years. In 1869 he came to the United 
States, stopping at Red Wing, Minnesota, for a short 
time, then going to Sioux City, Iowa, to work on a 
railroad in course of construction from Lemars east 
through Cherokee to Storm Lake, which is now a part 
of the Illinois Central system. The only railroad into 
Sioux City at that time was the Missouri "Valley from 
Council Bluffs. 

In 1871 Mr. Erickson joined the force on the North- 
ern Pacific and helped to build that road to Moorhead. 
He saved $300 of his earnings at railroad work, but 
felt that this was insufficient for his venture in the 



wilderness. Therefore, after he filed on his homestead 
he went to Winnipeg and for a year he worked in a 
brickyard in that city, thereby laying up more money, 
and a few years afterward he bought eighty acres of 
railroad land at $9 an acre, with the usual rebate con- 
ditions included in the contract. This tract contained 
forty acres of timber, which the owner has found to be 
enough for all his needs. 

Mr. Erickson built the dwelling house which he now 
occupies in 1900 and made the other improvements on 
the place at different times. His principal industry 
has been raising grain, mostly wheat, but he has also 
raised a large number of heavy draft horses for sale 
in the neighborhood and elsewhere. He has served as 
road overseer, and in that capacity has helped to im- 
prove roads in his township. He and his neighbors 
Imilt the first bridges on the creeks and the river at 
Fisher. He farmed with oxen six years and was the 
first one to cross Fisher bridge with an ox team. 

In all the early activities of this part of the North- 
west Mr. Erickson had a busy hand. He helped to 
load the first ear filled with wheat that ran out of 
Crookston in the fall of 1875, he and five or six of his 
neighbors having sold 400 bushels for the purpose at 
90 cents a bushel. But he did not forget the "girl he 
left behind him" in the old country. After he had 
been in the United States three years and got a good 
start here he sent back to Sweden for her to come 



440 



COilPENDIUJI OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



over. She came and they were married in Duluth, 
and when they took possession of their Polk county 
home they had one child. 

This first child, a son named Alex, died at the age 
of fourteen. Six others were born in the family, and 
they are all living. Abel is a well digger. Axel is 
living at home. Lena is the wife of R. 0ms, of North 
Dakota. Mary is the wife of Christ Engen, of Lari- 



iiiore, and Julia, Hulda and Lottie are milliners at 
Larimore, North Dakota. Mr. Erickson has been 
something of a hunter and fi.sherman in his time, and 
in the early days his wife often shot prairie chickens. 
She died in 1896, and her remains and those of the 
deceased son are buried on the farm. For many years 
Mr. Erickson rendered good service to the community. 



JOHN G. VRAA. 



This gentleman is one of the prosperous, progressive 
and successful farmers of Polk county and also one 
of the leading citizens of Vineland township, on Sec- 
tion 33 of which his fine farm of over 200 acres is 
located. It is two miles southeast of Climax, and is 
improved with a very good dwelling house, and he is 
now (1916) completing a large and substantial barn 
on it. He was bom in Norway January 7, 1865, and 
came to this country in 1872 with his parents, Ger- 
raand Nereson and Leve (Olafsen) Vraa, who located 
in Faribault county, Minnesota. The mother died in 
Norway in 1868, and in 1876 the father brought his 
five children to Polk county and took a homestead in 
Vineland township eighty acres of which are included 
in the farm now owned and occupied by his son 
John G. 

The father, who died in 1897, also owned eighty 
acres of railroad land and had all of both tracts under 
cultivation. He devoted his whole attention to his 
farm and the rearing of his children, who are : Ole, 
a resident of the village of Climax ; Michael, who lives 
on the farm adjoining the home place; Gunder, who 
has part of the family homestead ; Hage, who was the 
wife of Ole Bramseth (and the youngest of the chil- 



dren), and who lived also on a farm adjoining the 
homestead, she died in 1902, and John G., who car- 
ried on the home place in partnership with one of his 
brothers for six years before their father died. 

On the death of his father John G. Vraa got 125 
acres of the old farm, and to this he has added eighty 
acres half a mile distant but cultivated as a part of 
his farm. Raising grain has been his main depend- 
ence and industry on the farm, and his crop in 1915 
aggregated 1,800 bushels of wheat, 1,200 of oats and 
600 of barley. But he also keeps eight to ten cows 
and does some trading in dairy products. This is, how- 
ever, only incidental, as his general farming activities 
engage nearly all of his attention, as they always have 
from the time when he entered upon them. 

Mr. Vraa was married in December, 1887, to Miss 
Maria Anderson and they have four children, Lena, 
Albert, Cecil and Minnie, all of whom are still at home 
with their parents. He has been supervisor of the 
township board for five years and clerk of the school 
district for twenty-five. He and his wife are mem- 
bers of the church congregation near his home whose 
meetings are held in the schoolhouse, and they take 
an active part in all its work. 



JOHN LOGAN. 



Living on an excellent farm of 300 acres fronting 
on Red river and lying sixteen miles west of Crooks- 
ton, John Logan is very comfortably fixed in a worldly 
way, and he has the satisfaction of knowing that all 



his possessions are the fruits of his own energy, thrift 
and good management. He was born in County Gal- 
way, Ireland, and came to the United States in 1865. 
Until 1878 he lived in New Jersey and worked at 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



441 



■building railroads as a section hand. In the year last 
named he came to this county with his mother and a 
sister with a view to getting land on which he could 
establish a home and work out a prosperous and use- 
ful career in a line of endeavor that embodied some- 
thing beyond a daily recompense for migratory toil. 

3Ir. Logan had about ,$1,000 when he came here, and 
he at once bought a tract of railroad land at $5 an 
acre, with the usual rebate agreement in the contract. 
He procured a team of oxen and with this he broke 
up fifty acres of his land the first year. He had a 
fairly good crop and has continued to raise grain as 
his chief product ever since. His first residence on 
the land was a log house with a shingle roof, something 
very unusual in this locality at that time. The dwell- 
ing in which he now lives was built about 1895, and 
is a verj' substantial and comfortable one. 

From time to time Mr. Logan bought additional 
land until he owned 500 acres and had nearly all of 
his acreage in seed, his annual crop averaging about 
4,000 bushels. The most of his land in 1891 was in 
Section 1, Tj'nsid township, but the farm on which 
he now lives is in Section 3. It comprises 300 acres, 
the rest of his holdings having been sold. He paid $6 



an acre for what he has, and, through his well-applied 
industry and the general improvement of the region, 
it is now worth at least $60 an acre. 

In connection with his own place Mr. Logan for 
years cultivated one belonging to his mother, with 
whom his only living sister dwelt. The mother died 
when she was far advanced in years, and after that 
his sister made her home with him. He was married 
in 1885 to Miss Margaret Quirk, a daughter of Mat- 
tliew Quirk, who died in Craokston in 1914. Mrs. 
Logan came to this county from Pennsylvania soon 
after her uncle, Michael Quirk, settled here. She was 
born and reared in Pennsylvania. 

Mr. and Mrs. Logan are the parents of thirteen 
children, Martin, Nellie, Edward, Matthew, Thomas, 
William, Leo, Ambrose, Blanch, May, Leslie, Margaret 
and Louise. They and the parents belong to the Cath- 
olic church at Fisher. Mr. Logan has served as super- 
visor on the township board at different times. In 
state and national political affairs he is a firm adherent 
of the Democratic party but in local matters he holds 
himself aloof from party ties and acts independently 
according to his judgment. 



CARL J. GILBERT. 



After years of experience in sevei'al occupations in 
different places, and a successful career in each, ac- 
cording to the time he devoted to it, Carl J. Gilbert 
has found a field of operation well suited to his taste 
and capacity and profitable in its returns in well drill- 
ing over a large extent of country radiating in every 
direction from the village of Eldred, of which he is the 
present postmaster. He was born in Buffalo county, 
"Wisconsin, June 10, 1870, and came to this county 
with his parents, John and Karen Gilbert, in 1878. 
The parents were born, reared and married in Nor- 
way and came to the United States just before the 
Civil war. The father was a farmer and improved a 
good farm in the wilds of Wisconsin, which he occu- 
pied until 1878. 
28 



On his arrival in Polk county in 1878 the elder Mr. 
Gilbert took up a tree claim and bought railroad land 
on the prairie, in Sections 3 and 4, Roome township, 
nine miles west of Crookston and several miles from 
any neighbor. He had about $500 in money when he 
came here and a wife and seven children to provide 
for. He became the owner and cultivator of 360 acres 
of land; reared his children in comfort; raised large 
crops of grain ; held different offices in the township ; 
helped to found and maintain Bardo church, a mile 
distant from his home, and after the death of his wife 
sold his farm and retired to Pelican Rapids, in Otter- 
tail county, where he died in 1914 at the age of 
seveuty-three years. 

Carl J. Gilbert grew to manhood on his father's 



442 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



farm ami obtained a limited education at a country 
school. At the age of twenty-two he was married to 
Miss Bertha Lunos, who was then twenty, the daugh- 
ter of Halvor Lunos, who located in Roome township 
in 1879. lie and his wife later joined the Bella Coola 
colony in British Columbia, and their two sons went 
with them. The father died in that colony in 1913, 
and the mother is .still living in it with her sons. The 
family was successful and prosperous in the colony. 

Mr. Gilbert farmed rented ground for three years 
after his marriage and then bought his father-in- 
law's farm of 160 acres. He made many improve- 
ments on this farm and conducted its operations un- 
til 1901, then sold it at a good profit, having accumu- 
lated $2,800 in nine years with nothing to start on. 
He invested in a new hardware store at Berthold, 
North Dakota, and also filed on land near the village. 
He was its first merchant, the first treasurer of the 
township in which it is located and a member of its 
first village council after he helped to organize it as a 
village. He also served on its school board, which, 
under hi.s influence, built a good schoolhouse at a cost 
of $7,000. The village had a population of 300 when 
he left it after residing in it and doing business there 
four years. 

Mr. Gilbert's trade at Berthold grew large and his 
experience in it was very satisfactory. But in 1905 
he sold the store and moved to Crookston, where he 
bought a $9,000 stock of hardware and an old stand. 



He carried on this business three years, then sold it 
and moved to Eldred in 1908. Since then he has been 
engaged in well drilling on a large scale, running two 
rigs and drilling wells 200 to 300 feet deep. He has 
also been active in all movements for the improvement 
of the village and township, and is now serving his 
fourth year as president of the school board. He also 
helped to organize and has aided liberally in support- 
ing the Lutheran church at Eldred. 

One of the achievements for which ]\Ir. Gilbert is 
entitled to special credit is the establishment of the 
consolidated school at Eldred, which was formed by 
consolidating four districts. Mr. Gilbert, T. E. John- 
son and H. P. Boukin were the principal backers of 
this enterprise, and they had to work hard to carry 
it to success, but now the consolidated district has a 
fine four-room school house, which is one of the best 
of the kind in Polk county. When he came to Eldred 
Mr. Gilbert found that the schools showed little im- 
provement from the time when he was a pupil in thera 
himself, and he began to agitate for a better arrange- 
ment, with the result as stated above. 

Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert have five daughters and one 
son. Cora, the oldest child, had a course of special 
training at the Crookston business college and is now 
a stenographer. Emma is a student in the high school, 
and Mary, Carroll, Helen and Andrea are at home 
and attending the union school. 



OLE 0. ESTENSON. 



Ole 0. Estenson and his parents, Ole and Ingro 
(Peterson) Estenson, were all born in Norway, where 
the son's life began October 28, 1848. In 1857 the 
family, consisting of the parents and seven children, 
the youngest born on the railroad train near Chicago, 
arrived in Green county, Wisconsin, and there found 
a new home near the village of Argyle, which is just 
over the line in Lafayette county. After the birth of 
her child on the train the mother was obliged to lie on 
the floor of a waiting room in the Chicago railroad sta- 



tion because of tlie lack of other accommodations. The 
child died soon after the arrival of the family in Wis- 
consin. 

Ole E.stenson, tlie father, was a day laborer in Nor- 
way, and when he left that country he had only 
enough money to pay the the way of the family as 
far as Milwaukee, and was obliged to leave his trunks 
in bond in that citj' for the fare to Argyle. He had to 
send $20 to Milwaukee to get his trunks, and this he 
earned chopping wood and doing other work at thirty- 



COMPENDIUJI OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



443 



seven and a half cents a day. In 1860 he moved to 
Pierce county, Wisconsin, and there for two years he 
worked at farm labor. In 1862 he changed his resi- 
dence to Freeborn county, Jlinnesota, where he bought 
and improved some land and then sold it to advantage, 
and after passing one winter in Ottertail county, he 
brought his wife and six children, of whom Ole 0. 
was the oldest and then twenty-two, to Polk county 
in the spring of 1871, traveling in wagons and driving 
his cattle along. Peter 0. Satermo and Ole Jevning, 
then unmarried, accompanied the family on this trip. 

Before reaching this county, however, Ole O. left 
the party and returned to Freeborn county, finding 
his parents in their new location on July 4 the next 
year, they having reached it on June 10. The father 
took up a homestead in Section 14, Vineland township, 
on which E. 0. Estenson, the youngest son of the 
family, now lives. The parents passed the i-emalnder 
of their lives on this farm, the father dying on it at 
the age of seventy-six years and six months and the 
mother at the extreme age of ninety years and eight 
months. Their six children are all living except one. 
Peter 0. lives on his homestead ad.ioining the home 
place. Ingeborg is the wife of Ole Jevning, a sketch 
of whom appears in this volume. Elizabeth married 
Peter 0. Satermo and died in 1914. Esten 0. owns 
and cultivates part of the old homestead, and Maret 
is the wife of Ole 0. Stortroen and lives on another 
part of the old family farm. 

Ole 0. Estenson homesteaded in Section 23 half a 
mile south of his father's place and has since bought 
eighty acres in addition to his homestead and forty 
more farther oiit on the prairie. His home farm of 
240 acres borders on the Red river and is three miles 
northwest of Climax. He had no money when he lo- 
cated on his homestead, but he, Mr. Satermo and Mi*. 
Jevning united in building log houses on their thi'ee 
places and plowing five acres of each. They did no out- 
side work except cutting cord wood for the Hudson 
Bay company's boats on the Red river, and to the men 
in charge of these they also sold beef, butter and other 
supplies, there being no other market for them. His 
first crop, which was harvested in 1872, was 200 bush- 



els of wheat, a large yield for the acreage seeded. He 
got some live stock from his father but he lived as a 
])achelor for three years, hLs mother doing the house- 
work for him as well as for her own household. 

In 1875 Mr. Estenson was married to Miss Pauline 
Hanson, a daughter of Evan Hanson, who came to 
tliis county from Freeborn in 1874, and whom Mr. 
Estenson had known in Freeborn county. Five chil- 
dren have been born of the union : Emma, who is the 
wife of Martin Strommen and lives near her parents ; 
Helmer, who is a resident of Climax and has a sketch 
i)i this work ; Peter, who is cultivating the home farm, 
and who married Miss Josie Ellingson and has two 
children, Celia and Ordin; Ida, who married Severt 
Rostvet and resides at Newburg, North Dakota, and 
John, who is living with his parents and is a bach- 
elor. He assists in the work on the farm. 

Mr. Estenson has about 180 acres of his land under 
cultivation. He keeps a good deal of live stock, in- 
cluding cattle for beef and cows for milk and butter, 
and raises large crops of wheat and oats. During the 
last four years he has also devoted about thirty acres 
to potatoes with excellent results. He built his pres- 
ent dwelling in 1907 and tlie other improvements were 
made at different times. When the time came for 
the organization of Vineland township he was one of 
the most active men in the work, and he has served 
one term as county commissioner. His associates on 
the board were Messrs. Frederick, Jarvis, Higdem and 
Salverson, and during his term the old court house, 
which stood on the site of the present one, was built. 
The county was then several times as large as it is 
now, but he has not held any other position in its 
government. He was one of the founders of the Vine- 
land Farmers' Mutual Fire Insurance Company in 
1885 and has been the treasurer ever since. He was 
also one of the founders of the Climax Co-operative 
creamery in 1903 and has been the manager ever since. 

In his political affiliation Mr. Estenson has been a 
Prohibitionist from the organization of tlie party. He 
is a total abstainer himself and firmly opposed to the 
manufacture and sale of intoxicants as beverages. He 
does not use tobacco and never hunts, although the 



444 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



locality was full of game when he settled in it. A gnu 
was accidentally discharged in his hands and the 
charge came near hitting one of his sisters when he 
was a young man, and he has never touched one since. 
He was one of the founders of the Free Lutheran 



iliureh at Xehy, three miles noi-th of his place, and 
has been connected with it ever since in a leading way, 
serving as one of its trustees and as a participant in 
all its useful work of everv kind. 



JAMES JEROME HILL. 



There are names which in themselves are a history 
and an inspiration — themes which are their own elo- 
quent interpreters beyond the power of speech or 
writing — and who is there that can add a word or a 
thought to the story involved when before the people 
of the northAvest, or any part of it, one mentions the 
name and calls to notice the achievements of James 
J. Hill? 

The record of this master producer and empire 
builder is written in his work, and that is ever present 
under observation in the appreciative regard and 
service of millions of our people. 

It is beyond tlie purpose of the present writing, 
however, to present a narrative of IMr. Hill's life, and 
happily such an act is no longer anyw'here necessary. 
The salient features of Mr. Hill's career are so well 
known, the world over, that they need no repetition 
in any part of it. But his fruitful connection with 
the early history and development of Polk and the 
adjacent counties, especially in drainage, railroad 
building and agricultural progress, and the valuable 
results which have flowed from his activities here, 
have been so potential for good to this region that 
they are deserving of special mention in a work 
devoted exclusively to Polk county chronicles. In- 
deed, so productive of large consequences have those 
activities been that no compendium of Polk county 
history would be complete without some account of 
them. 

Mr. Hill passed a number of the years of his early 
manhood at Fisher's Landing, as the village of Fisher 
in this county was then called. Early in the seventies 
the thought of a possible railroad through the north- 
west began to occupy his mind. The thought came 



from his experience in Northwestern transportation 
problems, his faith in the productive powers and 
natural resources of this part of the country, and of 
the state of railroad conditions at the time. The 
feverish activity in obtaining land and cash in con- 
cessions to railroad enterprises during the sixties had 
brought on a collapse, and a great many of such 
enterprises were wrecked in the panic of 1873. But 
Mr. Hill retained his faith in his project and began 
to prepare for carrying it into tangible realization. 

The fragments of the old St. Paul & Pacific system 
were available for the development of the northwest 
if converted into real assets, and the holders of their 
securities were eager to sell them for what they could 
get. Their value lay to a considerable extent in what 
was left of a land grant, and they were in the hands 
of a receiver. "Yet so great seemed the task and so 
uncertain the reward, in the general opinion," accord- 
ing to Mr. Hill's own statement, "that any plan of 
acquiring and reorganizing the property was re- 
garded as visionary in those days by most holders 
of capital and most men of affairs." 

Mr. Hill did not share this view. In company with 
the late Lord Strathcona, George Stephen, afterward 
Lord Mount Stephen, and Norman "W. Kittson, he 
bought the defaulted bonds and at once began opera- 
tions. The gaps in the lines that first required filling 
were those between Melrose and Barnesville and 
Crookston and St. Vincent. Filling the former was 
necessary to save the land grant, whose time limit, 
already extended, was about to expire ; and filling the 
latter was required for connection with a railroad 
projected by the Canadian government from Winni- 
peg south. These gaps were soon filled, and the sub- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



445 



sequent progress of the Great Northern system has 
been steady and uninterrupted. 

The land grant enabled the promoters to push the 
road and open the country to settlement. They sold 
the railroad lands to actual settlers at $6 an acre on 
a partial payment plan and with a rebate of $3 on 
every acre broken up and seeded at the time when 
the last payment was made. Sales were rapid and 
new settlers began to come into the region in very 
promising numbers. Then a new difficulty of magni- 
tude arose, and this, too, severely taxed the resources 
of the master mind that was so vigorously stimulating 
the colonization of the northwest. 

The difficulty was this: A considerable part of 
Polk county is low, and in the early days water 
covered it to such an extent during several months 
of the year that the land could not be cultivated 
regularly, and even after seed was put in and gave 
promise of a good yield a wet spell would often ruin 
the crop. A comprehensive plan of systematic drain- 
age was requisite to overcome this difficulty, and Mr. 
Hill inaugurated and directed this with the sweep 
of vision and practical ability which have character- 
ized everything he has done. He sent oiit an engineer 
to make a survey and determine the elevation at 
each section corner. He then had an elaborate 
drainage map made to show how the drainage woi'k 
should be done. A few years later the legislature 
enacted the present drainage law and appropriated 
$100,000 for a drainage system for Polk county. Mr. 
Hill agreed to add $25,000 to the fund on condition 
that the railroad company be allowed to name a 
competent civil engineer as one member of the drain- 
age commission. This was the beginning of the 
admirable system of drainage work that has so 
materially helped to bring about the advanced agri- 



cultural development of the present day in Polk 
county. 

But this step, serviceable as it soon proved to be, 
was not in itself sufficient to fully accomplish the 
purpose desired. Mr. Hill was a laborious and criti- 
cal student of the science of agriculture and he 
realized that there was great need among the people 
of the northwest of more general and exact practical 
knowledge of that science based on experimental 
study of it. He therefore induced the railroad com- 
pany to donate 400 acres of land for an agricultural 
school and experiment station at Crookston. The 
land lay idle for years, and he then informed the state 
authorities that unless they decided to carry out the 
purpose of the donation without further delay the 
land would revert to the company. Hon. A. D. 
Stevens, then a member of the state senate, per- 
suaded the legislature to appropriate $50,000 for the 
erection of the first buildings, and since then the 
school has advanced in progress and usefulness at a 
very gratifying rate. 

Mr. Hill did not, however, stop with this effort to 
elevate the farming industry in Polk county and 
other parts of the northwest. During all his subse- 
quent years he has been very active in this behalf, 
and in frequent public addresses on notable occasions 
and pamphlets widely circulated has continued to 
lead the farmers of Minnesota to higher aims and 
greater profits in their work, and to teach them how 
to reach the goals he has pointed out. His interest 
in everything that pertains to the welfare of this 
region is now, when he is well advanced in age and 
laying aside many of the burdens of a long term of 
great activity, as great as it has ever been, although 
the need of his personal stimulus in the matter has 
largely passed aAvay. 



GUSTAV CHRISTIANSON. 



This enterprising farmer and public-spirited citizen 
of Minnesota, who lived for a number of years in 
Scandia township, Polk county, and improved a large 



farm there but is now a resident of Norman county, 
dwelling on a farm two miles south of Rindal, was 
born in Norway in 1864 and came to this country 



446 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



with his parents iii liis boyhood. The family located 
in Goodhue county, Minnesota, for a few years and 
in 1881 moved to Norman county, where the father 
took up a homestead and passed the remainder of his 
days. 

When Gustav was eighteen he obtained employ- 
ment on the Harriot farm near Beltrami and worked 
on it two years. In 1885 he filed a homestead claim 
on part of the land now owned by his sons Alfred and 
Benjamin, and that fall he put up his first dwelling on 
the farm, the one that is now used as a chicken house. 
On November 15, 1885, he was married on the Harriot 
farm to Miss Anguina Anderson, then twenty-one 
years old, who came to the United States at the age 
of two with her mother, Guria Andei'son, who was her 
brother Olous' housekeeper. 

After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Christianson 
made their home on a farm they rented for a year 
and then moved to their homestead. They had a couple 
of cows and a few chickens, but only one chair and one 
stove, and what little more they had of household 
goods Gustav made himself. He continued to work 
for other farmers off and on for three years, during 
which time he purchased a colt and a young yoke of 
oxen, which he used to cultivate and improve his own 
place, and this he continued to do for twenty-two 
years, until he sold his Polk county land to his two 
oldest sons and moved to his present home in Norman 
county. 

Before he left this county, however, the father 
added another 160 acres to his Scandia township farm, 
making it a half -section, and this also he owned and 
cultivated for a number of years. In addition he 



bought another tract of eighty acres and gave each 
of his sons Alfred and Benjamin half of it. He was 
chairman of the township board some years, and filled 
the office of township clerk when he left the county. 
He helped to start the Lutheran church near the 
homestead, raised a good deal of shorthorn stock for 
the purpose of supplying cream to the co-operative 
creamery, produced large quantities of grain on his 
farm, and erected all the buildings now standing on 
the land. 

In 1909 Alfred and Benjamin Christianson bought 
the farm from their father, which he priced to them 
at $30 an acre. They are in partnership in all their 
industries, raise grain and live stock, keep forty head 
of cattle, milk fifteen cows and raise annually a large 
number of hogs. They have added eighty acres to the 
farm in recent years, making it 480 in all, and put in 
enough small grain to raise some 5,000 bushels a year 
and have forty to fifty acres in corn besides. The 
roads in and around the farm are all ditched, the out- 
let being the big swamp to the west of them. 

Alfred Christianson was born on the farm adjoining 
his present home October 24, 1886, and was married 
November 15, 1913, to Miss Alice Marj' Carlson, of 
Norman county. They have one child, their son 
George. Alfred is chairman of the township board 
now (1916) and in his fourth year of sei'vice as such. 
He succeeded his father as township clerk. Benjamin 
Christianson was born in Shelly township, Norman 
county, Minnesota, September 12, 1888. He was mar- 
ried July 6, 1912, to ]\Iiss Nellie Boen, of near Rindal, 
Norman county. They have two children. Alma 
Katharine and Orville Gilraan. 



JOHN STROMSTAD. 



Overtaking good fortune after it had fled from him 
for a number of years, John Sti'omstad, one of the 
leading farmers and live stock men of Scandia town- 
ship, he and his son Theodore owning and cultivating 
all of Section 34, has kept a firm grip on his oppor- 
tunities and made the most of them ever since. His 



fine farm and pleasant country home is twenty miles 
south of Crookston and seven miles southwest of Bel- 
trami. He was born in Norway October 5, 1850, and 
came to the United States alone in 1871 and located 
in Houston county, Minnesota. He had a little money 
left when he reached his new home, but did not invest 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



447 



it immediately. For two years he worked at farm 
labor in Houston county, and then, in 1873, was mar- 
ried there to Miss Martha Christianson, a native of 
that county, where her parents settled in 1853, when 
they came over from Norwaj' among the first emi- 
grants from that country to locate in Minnesota. 

After his marriage Mr. Stromstad bought a farm in 
Houston county, but chinch bugs and other pests de- 
stroyed his crops, hard luck attended him in many 
forms, and in 1884 he was worse off than having noth- 
ing. He owned a team but it was not paid for. That 
year he determined to seek a new basis of operations 
and came to this county and took up as a homestead 
the northeast quarter of Section 34 in Scandia town- 
ship. He built a small frame house on his land, haul- 
ing the lumber for it from the Red river, and covered 
the building with tar paper inside and out. Until he 
was able to get some of his own farm into condition 
for cultivation he worked with his team on other 
farms, especially during harvest times. 

Mr. Stromstad and his son Theodore now together 
own all of Section 34 and carry on flourishing indus- 
tries in raising grain and beef and dairy cattle. They 
have stock in the co-operative creamery at Beltrami 
and keep sixteen to twenty milch cows from which 
they furnish cream to that institution. They breed 
their dairy cattle from a thoroughbred shorthorn sire 
and keep them in good condition by giving them care- 



ful attention. Their grain product is also large, the 
crop of wheat, oats and barley in 1915 totaling over 
10,000 bushels. For one quarter-section of his land 
Mr. Stromstad paid the sum of $4,400, but it is worth 
a great deal more than that now. 

Mr. and Mrs. Stromstad have two children. Their 
daughter Milla is now the wife of Andrew N. Mjelde 
and lives two miles distant from her father's farm. 
Theodore, who is the other child of the household, 
lives with his parents. He married Miss Helene Evje, 
of Norman county, Minnesota, and they have one 
child, their son Melvin. Theodore is at present town- 
ship supervisor and has been on the board some years. 
He has also operated a threshing outfit for ten or 
twelve years. His father was one of the founders of 
Helleland United Lutheran church near his home, 
which was organized soon after his arrival in the 
township, and all the members of the family belong to 
it and are active workers for its advancement. Part 
of the dwelling house now on the farm was hauled 
from Beltrami, seven miles away. It was built in por- 
tions at different times. The first barn put up by Mr. 
Stromstad was constructed of sod and covered with 
marsh hay. He and his son have a genius for im- 
provement and have lately taken contracts to do 
ditching along the public roads to the great advan- 
tage of the town.ship and its residents. 



ALP THORSON. 



This now prosperous farmer, who lives on Section 
26, Roome township, one mile northwest of Eldred, 
and owns a well improved farm of 200 acres, one 
corner of which the railroad crosses, came to Polk 
county in 1879 almost penniless, with his firm heart 
and strong limbs as his only sources of encouragement 
and means of advancement. He was born in Noi*way 
June 24, 1845, and came to the United States in 1867, 
locating in Winneshiek county, Iowa, where his 
brother Thomas, who had served in the Union army 
during the Civil war, was living. Alf bought 160 



acres of land in Iowa, for which he paid $1,100 he had 
saved out of his earnings, and lived on this land five 
years without making any progress whatever. Prices 
were low and times were hard, and there seemed to 
be no prospect of improvement where he was. So he 
concluded it was best for him to abandon what he had 
and seek a better opportunity in a different locality. 

When Mr. Thorson located on his homestead in 
1879 only two other men, Ole P. Krogen and Martin 
Likeness, were living in the neighborhood. Mr. 
Krogen had two yoke of oxen but none of the three 



448 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



had a sleigh or drag of any kind. lu fact, Mr. Thor- 
son had spent his last two cents for postage on a letter 
informing his people in Iowa that he had obtained 
land. The winter was a very severe one, and it was 
necessary for the three men to get food and fuel. 
They constructed a log sled and opened a road 
through the snow six miles to the Red river to get 
wood and another nine miles to Fisher to get food. 
And, as the snow drifted frequently, they had to work 
hard to keep these tracks open or risk having to make 
them all over again. 

Mr. Thorson passed his first winter with his two 
neighbors in a log house they had built, and the next 
summer they all joined in building one for him, 
hauling the logs for it from the Red river through 
sloughs and across creeks which sometimes covered 
the wagon and its load. But the logs made a warm 
house, and he lived in it until 1905, part of the first 
seven years as a bachelor doing his own housework 
and part with his sister as his housekeeper. There 
was so much water on his land that only the high 
ridges could be plowed, but he got work on other 
farms, especially in harvest times, and so was able to 
live and make some little progress. 

In 1905 Mr. Thorson built the dwelling he now 
lives in. That vear he harvested 1,800 bushels of 



wheat on 65 acres. He sold liis crop at Fisher at 
forty-two cents a bushel, which was very little, but it 
enabled him to pay for his new house. In 1915 he 
rai.sed 3,000 bushels of grain, averaging over twenty 
bushels of wheat to the acre. He had ditched his farm 
thoroughly by this time, and high water has not 
troubled him for a number of years. He had also 
made a purchase of forty additional acres. 

Mr. Thorson helped to organize the township, which 
was named in honor of one of its pioneers, and he has 
worked on every road in it. He has always been a 
firm and loyal member of the Republican party and 
above all other considei'ations a thoroughly true and 
consistent American from the time of his arrival in 
this country. He is also well pleased with Minnesota 
and devoted to its welfare. He was married some 
years after he .settled in Polk county to Miss Ida E. 
Gudvaugen. They have had two sons and five daugh- 
ters. One of the sons died in childhood. The children 
living are: Alven, aged si.Kteen, but not the oldest; 
Dena, a dressmaker ; Sena Marie, a graduate of Akers 
Business college, and Tillie, Mrs. Elmer Foss, Mabel 
and Edith. They all make their living in useful occu- 
pations. Mrs. Thorson and the daughters are mem- 
bers of the Synod Lutheran church at Eldred. 



OLE JEVNING. 



Owning 480 acres of fertile laud in Polk county, in 
several different tracts, most of them containing im- 
provements of value and large parts of them under 
cultivation, Ole Jevning, one of the entei-prising and 
progressive farmers of Vineland township, has used 
his time to advantage since he became a resident of 
the United States, for all his possessions are the fruits 
of his own iudustrj', frugality and good manage- 
ment. His home farm is in section 14, Vineland 
township, four miles northwest of the village of 
Climax, and the rest of his land lies near this. 

Mr. Jevning was born in Norway April 12, 1845, 
and came to the United States in 186G, making the 



journey in a sailing ship which kept him nine weeks 
and three days on the ocean, landed him at Quebec, 
Canada, and was one for which he waited three weeks 
at Bodo, in his native land. From Quebec he traveled 
by rail to Sarnia, Can., from there by boat to Milwau- 
kee, and from there by rail to La Crosse, then up the 
Mississippi to Winona, and from there by rail to 
Rochester, which was then the end of the railroad line. 
He had started for Freeborn county, Minnesota, and 
he reached his destination the last day of August. 

After living two years in Freeborn county Mr. 
Jevning moved to Ottertail county, where he started 
to improve a farm. But in 1871 he was induced to 



COMPENDIUM OP HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



449 



accompany Ole Estensou aud his family and Peter 
Satermo to the Red River country. When they 
reached the Red river valley, after many privations 
and adventures, they had to build a bridge of elm logs 
in order to get across Wild Rice river. This occupied 
them three days, and while they were doing it Gulik 
Spokely and others joined them, and they all traveled 
on together to where the village of Neilsville now 
stands. Mr. Jevuing, Ole Estensou and Peter 
Satermo journeyed farther, reaching the land on 
which Mr. Jevning now lives June 10, 1871, and on 
which he immediately squatted. The next year it was 
surveyed, and he then entered it under a preemption 
claim for which he paid $200. It contains about 
sixty-five acres of timber, and the rest of the quarter- 
section is prairie. 

The new settlers in this wilderness were alone. 
There was no resident to the north of them on the 
east side of the Red river, and their nearest neighbor 
was a long distance off. Mr. Jevning 's first house was 
a log cabin 16 by 16 feet in size and covered with straw 
and sod. His present dwelling house was built in 
1876, and the other improvements on his land were 
made at different times as they were needed and he 
was able to make them. 



In 1872 Mr. Jevning was married to Aliss Ingeborg 
0. Estensou, a daughter of Ole Estenson, one of his 
companions from Ottertail county, and twenty years 
old at the time of her marriage. They managed to 
live on the farm, as his neighbors broke up five acres 
for him and the same quantity for each of themselves, 
and he had an ox team to cultivate his with. Later, 
at different times he bought railroad land at $5 to $10 
an acre farther out on the prairie until he owned all 
of the 480 acres he now has, and he put all his pur- 
chases under cultivation as rapidly as he could. 

Raising grain was for a long time Mr. Jevning 's 
principal industry, but for a couple of years he has 
been putting about twenty-five acres in potatoes with 
good results. He has served some years as township 
supervisor and in other local offices. He and his wife 
became the parents of nine children, one of whom, 
Ingvard, died in childhood. Of those who are living 
Ingeborg is the wife of Andrew Stortroen of Fisher. 
Johan and family have a farm near Pitt, Minnesota. 
Ole and family live at Fisher. Ida is the wife of 
Christian Munson of Minneapolis. Inga is the wife of 
Peter Evenson of Vineland township. Anna is living 
at home ; Olivia is the wife of Cecil Neal, who is ope- 
rating the home farm. 



CHARLES L. RYAN. 



Representing the second generation of his family in 
this county, and conducting extensive farming opera- 
tions here in the manner for which that family has 
long been noted, Charles L. Ryan, who lives three 
miles east of East Grand Forks on the north bank of 
Red Lake river, is one of the substantial and highly 
serviceable citizens of Polk county and a very worthy 
representative of the sturdy and sterling Irish ances- 
try from which he sprang. He was born in County 
Lanark, Ontario, January 3, 1866, and was in his 
thirteenth year when he came with his parents, John 
and Elizabeth (Hollinger) Ryan, to find a new home 
in Polk county, Minnesota. 

John Ryan, the father of Charles L., was born near 



Perth, County Lanark, Ontario, January 3, 1822, of 
parents who came to the Dominion from Ireland, and 
were among the first settlers in the neighborhood of 
Perth. In consequence of the remoteness and sparse- 
ness of the settlement the father was compelled to 
carry the first seed wheat he sowed on his back for a 
distance of sixty miles. He became possessed of a 
farm of 200 acres, and on that farm his son John grew 
to manhood, helping to till the soil in summer and 
acting as a logging contractor for leading lumbermen 
in winter. 

In March, 1878, Mr. Ryan bought a carload of 
horses in Carleton Place, Ontario, and shipped them 
to Fisher in this county, which was then the railroad 



450 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



terminal and four miles east of the homestead on 
which he afterward lived. He drove his horses across 
the country from Fisher to Grand Forks, crossing 
the Red river on a ferry at that place. There he sold 
some of the horses for cash and traded the rest for 
land at Portage la Prairie in Manitoba, sixty miles 
west of Winnipeg. The Sullivan boys, old friends of 
his in Ontario, were living in Polk county, and in May 
or June, 1878, he returned to their residence and 
bought the Bert Haney and James Jenks homestead, 
which is a part of the farm now owned and occupied 
by his son Charles. The homestead contained 200 
acres on the Red Lake river, and he paid $10 an acre 
for it. Sixty acres were in seed and there was a little 
frame house on the place and some straw shacks had 
also been put up on it. 

Mr. Ryan rented his land, went back to Ontario, 
sold his property there, and on October 17, 1879, re- 
turned to this county with his wife, his sons Thomas, 
John and Charles L. and his daughters Theresa and 
Elizabeth. The mother was Miss Elizabeth Hollinger 
before her marriage. Their eight horses and house- 
hold goods were brought by rail to Fisher and con- 
veyed from there to the farm. Mr. Ryan put more 
land under cultivation and bought 120 acres from 
the railroad company. In 1902 he sold his land near 
Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, and bought more here. 
His holdings finally totaled 840 acres, 520 in his home 
farm and 320 in Sullivan township, some miles dis- 
tant. He also found that he had made a good invest- 
ment in the land for which he traded horses. 

The father worked all his land as soon as he could 
get it ready to be farmed. His oldest son, Thomas, 
had 160 acres adjoining his own home place. Thomas 
had married Miss Mary Jane Dougherty, who died 
about eighteen months previous to his demise, which 
occurred in June, 1901, when he was about forty-eight 
years of age, leaving five children, Mary, John, Ed- 
ward, Thomas and Francis, and they still own the fai-m 
that belonged to him. Charles' brother John died at 
the parental home in 1883 at the age of twenty- 
three or twenty-four. Thomas, John and their sister 



Theresa each took up a homestead in Grand Forks 
county, North Dakota. Theresa married John Bowes, 
a Great Northern railroad man, and they are 
now living in East Grand Forks, where he is 
connected with the management of the church of 
the Sacred Heart and the school attached to it. As 
soon as Elizabeth was old enough she filed a home- 
stead claim on a tree claim in Sullivan township 
taken up by her father, and she still owns it. She 
married James T. Sullivan and has her home in Sul- 
livan township. 

After the death of his brother Thomas Charles L. 
Ryan returned to his father's farm and took charge 
of it. He cultivated a half-section of land and also 
acted as salesman and collector for the McCormick 
Harvester and Machinery company, covering the ter- 
ritory around Grand Forks. He soon became man- 
ager of the whole farm, however, though his father 
continued to live on it until his death on January 2, 
1903. The mother lived until September 21, 1908. 
They were of nearly the same age. In the early days 
the father was township clerk for some years. He 
was a Democrat in his political relations and a Cath- 
olic in his religious faith, being one of the original 
members of the church of the Sacred Heart. He took 
an active part in all movements for the improvement 
of his locality and was widely known and very much 
esteemed. All travel through this region in the early 
times was over the Indian trail along the river through 
his farm. 

Charles L. Ryan grew to manhood on his father's 
farm and completed his academic education at 
the University of North Dakota. In 1886 he pur- 
sued a course of special training at a commercial col- 
lege in Minneapolis. For seven years he bought wheat 
at various stations and also wrote insurance. But 
after taking charge of the farm and assuming the 
interests of the other members of the family in it he 
began to devote himeslf wholly to its management. 
He has bought 320 acres more, and the farm now 
contains 930, and includes the old Zebina Hunt farm 
of ninety acres, which was one of the first on Red Lake 



COMPENDIUai OP HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



451 



river. He also cultivates his brother Thomas' old 
farm, thereby conducting the operations on 1,090 
acres. He raises grain and live stock, producing 
about 18,000 bushels of wheat, oats and barley a year 
in nearly equal quantities and keeping 80 to 90 head 
of cattle regularly and fattening many head of steers 
for the markets every season. 

In addition to his extensive farniiug and live stock 
operations Mr. Ryan carries on an active dairy busi- 
ness, milking 24 cows and selling cream by wholesale 
to the ice cream factories. He also raises horses for 
his own use, requiring fourteen to work his land, 
having three four-horse terms and keeping them busy, 
and he employs two men all the year round and others 
as he needs them. For twelve years past he has filled 
the office of township assessor and is still filling it, and 
for many years he has been the treasurer of the school 
district and a trustee and the treasurer of the Sacred 



Heart church and school in East Grand Forks. In 
addition, he is treasurer of the Huntsville Mutual 
Fire Insurance company, which does business in 
twenty-two townships in Polk county. 

On December 27, 1899, Mr. Ryan was united in mar- 
riage with Miss Luella M. Dinnie, a native of Morris- 
burg, Ontario, who was brought to Grand Forks when 
she was two years old by her parents, John and EUen 
(Sehwerdefeger) Dinnie. The father was a leading 
contractor and builder in Grand Forks and mayor of 
that city for eight years in the nineties. He died 
there in December, 1910, and his widow is stiU living 
there, Mrs. Ryan being the only member of the family 
residing in this county. She and her husband are the 
parents of two children, Mary Louise and Charles 
John. Mr. Ryan is administrator of his brother 
Thomas' estate and guardian of his children, and they 
also have their home with him and his family. 



THOMAS BARLOW WALKER. 



Many events, seemingly unimportant in themselves 
and some of them even accidental on surface appear- 
ances, have contributed largely to the rapid settle- 
ment and development of Polk county since its great 
virgin natural resources and vast industrial and 
commercial possibilities were first seen and made 
luiown by a few master minds. Like Caesar, in his 
campaign in Asia Minor, these men of broad vision 
and daring nerve could claim they came, they saw, 
they conquered; but, unlike him, they did not sub- 
jugate peoples and put them under the yoke of a 
foreign government. They subdued only the wild 
forces of nature and helped to turn the enormous 
wealth those forces held in useless thrall into market- 
able shape and make it serviceable on a gigantic scale 
to the children of men. 

One of these events, to which no special importance 
was attached at the time, even by the chief actor in 
it, was the arrival in this region of Thomas Barlow 
Walker, of Minneapolis, as a member of a United 
States surveying party. Mr. Walker, who now enjoys 
world-wide renown, was then in the dawn of his 



manhood and unknown to fame. But he had the 
forces of giant creative and productive genius slum- 
bering within him and only waiting for a proper 
occasion to awaken them and call them into action. 
He was born, reared and educated in Ohio, had taught 
a district school in that state, and had then come 
into the northwest as a traveling salesman of grind- 
stones, wooden bowls and wagon wheel spokes. 

Mr. Walker's engagement as a surveyor occupied 
him only a part of each year, but he continued in it 
for a long time, and during his connection with the 
party he helped to survey a considerable part of 
Northern and Western Minnesota and divide it into 
townships and sections. His experience in this work 
proved to be of great advantage to himself and the 
country in general in business lines, and it was of 
special benefit to Polk county and the upper Red 
river valley in helping to open up the country to 
settlement and prepare the way for the great indus- 
trial and agricultural development that has since 
been wrought out in the region. 

In his work as a surveyor Mr. Walker acquired 



452 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



intimate knowledge of the white pine regions of 
Minnesota, and this knowledge led him to unite with 
other men in purchasing extensive tracts of the white 
l)iue lands for the manufacture of lumber. This 
changed the whole course of his career. lie aban- 
doned his previous purpose, and the man who gave 
promise of winning commendable success and promi- 
nence as a surveyor and builder of railroad lines 
became one of the leading lumbermen of the world. 
He and his associates purchased large areas of pine 
land on the head waters of Red Lake and Clearwater 
rivers, beginning in 1880, and to utilize the timber 
there he and his oldest son, Gilbert M. "Walker, 
organized the Red River Lumber company and built 
two large mills, one at Crookston and the other at 
Grand Forks on the North Dakota side of the Red 
river. 

For a long time these mills were in full operation 
the year round, giving employment to thousands of 
men, ministering to the comfort and happiness of 
hundreds of homes and supplying the means for the 
education and improvement of hosts of children in 
this region. They also aided greatly in swelling to 
large proportions the manufacturing and commercial 
business of the region, whereby its influence in the 
affairs of the state was noticeably augmented. All 
the currents of life in Polk county, moral, mental 
and material, were visibly quickened and enlarged by 



.Mr. Walker's activities and the forces he set iu 
motion here, and by the stimulus of his inspiring 
example. His energies, in every region in which he 
has taken sufficient interest to exert them, have 
covered the whole field of human needs, and his 
fostering hand, which has been kind as well as firm 
and skillful, has been helpful in every part of that 
field. 

An account of Mr. Walker's zealous, comprehen- 
sive and serviceable work in other localities is not 
within the purview of this volume. It is enough to 
say that his efforts everywhere are and always have 
been commensurate with his expansiveness of mind 
and vision. AYhat he has done for the progress and 
improvement of Polk county is a fair sample, but only 
a sample, of what he has done for many localities in 
ways adapted to their needs. Moreover, all his 
activities have ever been guided and governed by 
moral powers as well as mental endowments of a 
high order. He has a clear head and a strong mind, 
and these have been cultivated throughout his long 
career by reading, study and observation, and by 
constant intercourse with many of the best citizens 
of his own and other states, all of whom he numbers 
among his friends. His whole life, commercial and 
domestic, has been marked and directed by fixed 
principles of purity and benevolence. 



FRANK J. ZEJDLIK. 



This enterprising and prosperous farmer and busi- 
ness man, who is vice president of the First State Bank 
and owner of an imposing and valuable business block 
in East Grand Forks and also the owner of 1,235 acres 
of land in Polk county, one tract in Tabor, another in 
Northland and the third in Keystone and Huntsville 
townships, was born in Bohemia October 27, 1859, and 
came to this country in 1876, locating in McLeod 
county, Minnesota, where he remained until the spring 
of 1880. He then moved to this county and took up a 
homestead in Tabor township eighteen miles northeast 



of East Grand Forks and eight miles west of the 
village of Angus. 

This location was remote from human habitations 
at the time, but before the end of the year there was 
quite a settlement of newcomers in it, among them 
John Majerchin, Joseph Hunderley, Mr. Zejdlik's 
brother Vaclav, and John Zavoral, and the next 
spring ]Mr. Zejdlik's father, also named Frank J., 
John and Joseph Bren, Andrew Palya, Frank Kolars, 
James Hullifer and others came and helped to swell 
the population. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



453 



When he came to this county Mr. Zejdlik had no 
capital. He worked on the railroad running between 
Euclid and St. Vincent for a time, and in 1884 he 
bought a farm and broke up forty acres of it with hi.s 
yoke of cattle and sowed the tract by hand. He then 
went West and was unable to drag his land, but he got 
a crop of 800 bushels, which he sold at $1.13 while 
other wheat growers got very little for theirs, some 
not more than 25 cents a bushel. This gave him a 
start, and in 1885 he bought eight}' acres more, and he 
kept on buying until he acquired the ownership of 
1,235 acres, paying for some $37.50 an acre. He 
erected good buildings and made other substantial 
improvements and lived on the farm until 1901, when 
lie moved to East Grand Forks. 

While he cultivated his land Mr. Zejdlik raised corn 
and small grain and handled a good deal of live 
stock. He also took an active part in the public 
affairs of his localitj', helping to organize Tabor town- 
ship, which was first called Osseta, and served on the 
township board as supervisor. His extensive farming 
operations and his public duties kept him very busy, 



and in the course of about twenty years he accumu- 
lated a comfortable estate and decided to retire from 
the arduous labors of the farm. 

In 1901 he bought a home in Ea.st Grand Forks and 
moved to that city to give his childx'en good school 
facilities. He then had $17,000 loaned out. This he 
collected in and invested in a business Hock, which 
he built in the heart of the town on De Mers avenue. 
He is a member of the city Light and Water commis- 
sion and otherwise interested in the advancement and 
improvement of the community. He also bought 
stock in the First State Bank of East Grand Forks 
and became its vice president. 

Mr. Zejdlik was married in McLeod count.y, Minne- 
sota, in 1888 to Miss Anna HoUob. They have seven 
children, Edward, Matilda, Annie, Frank, Emily, 
Bessie and William. Edward keeps a meat market in 
East Grand Porks and Frank, who is a graduate of 
the high school and the onty one of the children living 
away from the family, cultivates the home farm. All 
the members of the family stand well in the commu- 
nity and richly deserve the esteem they enjoy. 



ANDREW ELEVEN. 



The course of this enterprising and energetic 
farmer and stock breeder, whose fine farm of 720 acres 
in and adjoining Section 9, Roome township, and 
his other place of eighty acres near Eldred are models 
of skillful cultivation and high productiveness, has 
been one of steady progress since he became a resident 
of Polk county in 1877 and bought his first tract from 
the railroad at $8 an acre, with a rebate of $3.50 an 
acre for clearing, plowing and seeding three-fourths 
of it. He had nothing then but enough mone.y to 
make a small payment on his land, two teams and a 
few farm implements. 

Mr. Eleven was born in Norway in May, 1849, and 
in 1874 he came to this country and located in Good- 
hue count.y, Minnesota, where he remained nearly 
three years. In the spring of 1878 he built a little 
frame house on his land and set in to breaking up the 



stubborn glebe with his horse and ox teams to get 
crops and save his rebate. Two years later he bought 
more land, and he has kept on buying from time to 
time until he is now one of the most extensive land- 
holders in the Red river valley. He owns 800 acres 
and has all under cultivation, grain being his princi- 
pal product. His crops in 1915 aggregated 18,000 
bushels, 8,000 being wheat and the rest oats, barley 
and flax. 

The farming operations of Mr. Eleven are con- 
ducted on a large scale, as must be the case. They 
keep fifteen horses busy most of the time, and he also 
has 30 to 40 head of cattle and milks ten to twelve cows 
regularly, supplying cream to the creamery at Fisher 
in which he is a stockholder. His home farm is well 
located, the dwelling house, which was built in 1910, 
commanding an extensive view in all directions. The 



454 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



farm is well eqiiippetl with modern raaehinery of the 
most approved designs, and everything is at hand for 
the most skillful cultivation of it, including the mind 
(if a master workman in the person of its owner. ]\Ir. 
Kleven made two trips to Norway since coming to this 
country. The last trip was made in 1914. 

At this time (1916) Mr. Kleven is chairman of the 
township hoard, a post of responsibility and trust 
which he has filled with credit at different times dur- 
ing his residence here. He has long taken an active 



jiart in all work for good roads and ditching, and lias 
given intelligent and stimulating attention to all other 
public interests in the township. Before the end of 
the first year after his arrival in Polk county he was 
united in marriage with Miss Sarah Tiklen, also a 
native of Norway. They have six children living: 
]\Iinda, who resided in Grand Forks ; Lucas, who is his 
father's main assistant on the farm, and Cora, Toma, 
Hartuig and Joseph, and are also merabei-s of the 
parental family circle. 



ESTEN 0. ESTENSON. 



This gentleman is a member of a family that has 
been prominent and stood high in the regard and good 
will of the people in the southwestern part of Polk 
county for two generations of human life, and this 
period covers nearly the whole history of settlement 
and civilization there. He is a son of Ole Estenson, 
one of the esteemed pioneer farmers of Vineland 
township and is living on eighty acres of his old 
homestead, on which he filed when thei-e were very 
few families in the locality and almost all of it was 
Avilderness. He is also a brother of Ole 0. Estensen, 
one of the county commissioners who built the court 
house which was destroyed by fire some years ago. 
The family hi.story is told in a sketch of Ole 0. on 
other pages of this work. 

E. 0. Estenson was born in Green count}% Wiscon- 
sin, February 22, 1861, and was old enough to note 
when his father entered the Civil war as a Union sol- 
dier and returned to his home at tlie close of that 
sanguinary conflict. He remembei'S these incidents 
vividly and he also remembers incidents of the trip of 
the family through many wilds and some infant settle- 
ments from his native county to this one in 1871. His 
boyhood was passed on his father's farm in Vineland 
township, that part of the period which belongs to 
Minnesota, and his experiences were much like tho.se 
of other boys in his situation. He hunted the small 
game with which the region abounded, went to school 
when he could and assisted in the work on the farm 



year after year until he attained to man's estate and 
was then married. 

After his marriage Jlr. Estenson took up his resi- 
dence in Crookston and became janitor of the old 
court house, the one his brother Ole 0. Estenson 
helped to build as a county commissioner, and also 
served as engineer of the steam heating plant in the 
jail, then recently built. He remained in Crookston 
seven years, then returned to the country and located 
on eighty acres of his father's old homestead. He has 
added eighty acres to his farm and for years has given 
his whole attention to the cultivation of his 160 acres 
of superior land and the industries incident to that. 

Mr. Estenson 's main dependence on his farm was 
grain until recently, but some j'cars ago he began to 
keep bees and gradually increased his business in this 
line until he had 100 hives or more. He kept this 
number for over ten years and produced about two 
tons of honey annually. His hives are fewer in num- 
ber now, but he is still warmly interested in bees and 
gives them a great deal of attention. He also raises 
large quantities of apples on the 200 trees which he 
planted and has guided to maturity, and by this in- 
du.stry he has dissipated an old belief that apples 
could not be successfully raised in the Red river valley. 

For a number of yeai-s Mr. Estenson has followed 
the trend of his neighborhood and produced large 
quantities of potatoes, which are sold in Kansas and 
Missouri for seed. His crop in 1914 was about 10,000 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



455 



bushels and the same in 1915, the yield being over 350 
bushels to the acre on special parcels of land. In 1904 
he entered a homestead in Beltrami county, and on 
this he passed five years. He has added to it until he 
and his sons together own more than 640 acres there, 
nmeh of the tract being covered v^ith cedar, spruce 
and similar growths of timber. He has held no public 
office except that of school clerk, which he filled for a 
number of years. 

Mr. Estenson was married in 1883 to Miss Karen 



Kjolhaug, of near Fosston. They have six children 
living and lest four in infancy. Those living are 
Oliver, Thomas, Ivan, George, Esther and Haaken 
Mouris, the last named born on the day of the corona- 
tion of the present king and queen of Norway, Mouris 
being the Norwegian equivalent of Maud. The 
father 's farm extends to the Red river and the dwell- 
ing on it is on the bank of the Evje Marias, Evje being 
the Scandinavian for slough or bayou. 



FRANK W. KOLARS. 



Frank W. Kolars was born in Bohemia November 
12, 1848, and came to the United States with his 
parents in 1860. They lived one year in Chicago and 
then moved to Le Sueur county, this state, where the 
father bought a farm and became an influential citi- 
zen, serving in several township offices and contrib- 
uting generally to the advancement and improvement 
of the county. He and his wife both died on the 
Le Sueur county farm several years ago. 

Their son Frank obtained a common school educa- 
tion in his native land, in Chicago and in Le Sueur 
county. In 1873, when he was but twenty-five, he 
was elected clerk of District Court of Le Sueur 
county. Judge Chatfield being then on the bench. Mr. 
Kolars was elected for a term of four years, and two 
years later he was elected register of deeds, and dui'- 
ing the next two years he filled and discharged the 
duties of both offices. He was elected court clerk for 
three successive terms, serving thirteen years in all in 
the office, ending his tenure of it in 1886. In 1890 he 
was the nominee of the People's pai-ty for clerk of 
the state supreme court, but only one man on the ticket 
of that party was elected, and he had the indorsement 
of the Democratic organization and the rank and file 
of that party. Some years later Mr. Kolars was the 
People 's party 's nominee for register of deeds in Polk 
county, but the party had grown weak, and he was 
not elected. Since then he has been a Democrat and 
was the Democratic candidate for the state house of 
representatives in 1908 in Polk county. 



In March, 1892, Mr. Kolars moved to Polk county 
and bought 480 acres of land in Sullivan township ten 
miles northeast of East Grand Porks. The land was 
wild, unbroken prairie, and he paid $8 to $10 an acre 
for it. He improved it with comfortable buildings, 
reduced it all to productiveness and made his home on 
it until 1910, when he retired from active pursuits 
and has since lived in East Grand Forks. But he still 
superintends the cultivation of his farm. 

After quitting official life he kept store in Le Sueur 
county a year and a half, then conceived the idea that 
by coming to the Red river region he could operate a 
large farm (farming being more to his taste) and 
make an easy fortune. He found on coming to his 
present location, however, that very little ditching had 
been done in Sullivan and Keystone townships, and 
there was gi'eat difficulty in getting rid of the water 
on the land. 

Soon afterward the two townships established 
county ditches along each mile of the roads east and 
west and throwing the dirt up to form a grade. This 
was found to meet all the requirements, and thei-e has 
been no difficulty with the water since. The plan has 
also resulted in good roads all over both townships 
and given the people satisfaction in other ways. 

Mr. Kolars was twice married, his first wife died in 
1888, after having become the mother of eight (8) 
children, three having died in Le Sueur county. 

The second marriage of IMr. Kolars took place in Le 
Sueur county in 1889 and united him with Miss Alice 



456 



COMPENDIUJI OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



Cantwell of that county, where her parents settled in 
1859. She -was educated in the schools of her native 
county and at tlic AVinona State Normal School, and 
was a teacher in Le Sueur county ten years, four of 
them in the graded school in the town of Le Sueur. 
She is a member of the East Grand Forks Civic 
League and Women's Club, and is one of the two 
lady members of the East Grand Forks school board, 
elected in 1915, Mrs. Mattie Massee being the other. 
By his second marriage Mr. Kolars has become the 



father of five children. Alice is a teacher at Beach, 
North Dakota. She is a graduate of the high school 
in East Grand Forks and the University of North 
Dakota, and is doing special work in the teaching of 
mathematics. Margaret is a teacher in the high school 
at Kensal, North Dakota. She is a graduate of a high 
school and the Teachers College. Grace is a student at 
the University of North Dakota. Paul and Henry 
are students in the high school in East Grand Forks. 



HON. JAMES GUMMING. 



South View Farm, the highly developed, richly im- 
proved and completely equipped family seat of Hon. 
James Gumming, in Section 13, Huntsville township, 
is not only one of the charming show places of Polk 
county but an impressive object lesson in advanced 
and progressive scientific farming which is of great 
benefit to the section of country in which it is located 
and to all who visit and studiously inspect it. The 
farm is also a strong and striking proof of the enter- 
prise, ability and sagacity of its owner, and very 
creditable to his judgment and good taste. 

The farm comprises 400 acres and is six and a half 
miles southeast of East Grand Forks and twenty miles 
west of Crookston. It is improved with a commo- 
dious modern dwelling supplied with a hot water heat- 
ing plant, hot and cold hard and soft water all 
through, and many other conveniences and comforts 
usually found only in city residences. The farm also 
has separate barns for cattle and horses, both of which 
are large and almost unique in the completeness and 
comprehensiveness of their equipment and facilities. 
The barn for the cattle is 36 by 100 feet in ground 
floor dimensions and 41. feet from the ground to its 
peak. It has a basement under the whole of it and 
patent stanchions, concrete floors of the latest pat- 
tern. There is a root cellar in connection with it 
capable of storing 1,700 bushels of roots. The barn 
cost $4,000 and accommodates 75 head of cattle. It 
will also hold 2,000 bushels of grain and 150 tons of 
hay. 



Jlr. Gumming was the first man to build a silo in 
this part of the Red river valley. He now has two 
silos, connected by full alleys, and uses a 12-horse 
power engine to cut ensilage, grind feed and other 
work of this kind. He uses steam power in doing 
bis plowing and threshing, owning outfits for both 
operations, each of which is complete in every particu- 
lar. His house and barns are supplied with water 
from a tank under ground, which is in no danger of 
freezing, and the water is moved by air pressure. A 
two and a quarter horse-power engine pumps water, 
milks the cows, separates the cream from the milk, 
chums the butter and runs the washer. 

On this farm Mr. Gumming raises about 4,000 
bxishels of wheat a year, and he has other land, about 
700 acres, part of which is a half-section in Section 3, 
Huntsville township, two miles and a half from his 
home place, which is farmed by a tenant and yields 
large quantities of clover and alfalfa. Until recently 
Mr. Gumming also owned two quarter sections of tim- 
ber land on The Point on Red river, which he bought 
cheap in a swampy condition, improved into good 
farms and sold at $100 and $105 an acre. 

The home farm Is the seat of the proprietor's chief 
activities. He raises grain, including 60 to 70 acres 
of corn for feed, and full-blooded Holstein and thor- 
oughbred Shorthorn cattle, keeping some 75 head and 
milking 35 to 40 cows. For years he was the leading 
butter maker in the valley, but of late he has been 
sending his milk to Grand Forks by auto delivery, the 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



457 



trade amounting to $300 a month, as he emphasizes 
the dairy feature now. He also raises horses for sale 
besides what he needs for his own use. 

Hon. James Gumming was born in County Carle- 
ton, Ontario, Canada, October 17, 1861, the son of 
William and Elizabeth (Whyte) Cumming, natives of 
Scotland and farmers in Canada, where the father 
died in May, 1880. Soon afterward the mother, 
James, his brother Peter and their sister Annie came 
to the Red river valley, Henry and John, two other 
sons of the family being already in this locality and 
working as blacksmiths in Grand Forks. The new- 
comers took up land in Grand Forks county. North 
Dakota, and lived on it two years. In the fall of 1882 
they moved to the land Mr. Cumming now occupies, 
paying $20 an acre for it. The Northern Pacific rail- 
road was later built through here and Cumming 's Sid- 
ing, a grain loading station, was located on the farm. 

Mr. Cumming has been active in school work locally 
and served as chairman of the township board twelve 
years. In the fall of 1898 he was elected as the can- 
didate of the People's party to the state house of rep- 
resentatives. He served on the committees on agricul- 
ture, towns and counties, state capitol and claims and 
also other standing committees and was chairman of 
a special committee. He worked to obtain provisions 
for draining the Red river valley ; for allowing small 
municipalities to build or acquire their own water and 
light plants, his bill for this being killed in the senate ; 
for increasing the tax on the gross earnings of rail- 
roads from 3 to 4 per cent, and for county option. In 



1904 he was nominated for the state senate but was 
defeated by Hon. A. D. Stevens, who then was sent to 
the senate for the first time. 

In religious affairs Mr. Cumming has always taken 
an active interest. He was one of the founders of 
Bethel Presbyterian church on the Marias and has 
served as one of its elders for more than twenty 
years. On March 16, 1887, he was married to Miss 
Katie Ferguson, a native of Canada but of Scotch 
Highland ancestry. He was living in Grand Forks 
with a sister at the time of the marriage. They have 
had eight children. William James is a graduate of 
the Agricultural college at Crookston and is now 
farming in Huntsville township. He married Misa 
Nettie Ellen Hannah and they have one child. Mary 
Isabella is a graduate of the high school in Grand 
Forks and a teacher in North Dakota, and is now mar- 
ried to I\Ir. Melvin Johnston of Kensal, N. D. Peter 
Allan is a graduate of the Grand Forks high school 
and a junior in the University of North Dakota. Eliz- 
abeth Gladden, who was graduated fi'om the Grand 
Forks high school in 1915, is a stenographer. Anna 
Zella will graduate from the high school in 1916, and 
Leslie Ferguson is a student in Grand Forks. Daniel 
died in infancy and John Russell September 27, 1915, 
aged sixteen and just ready to enter the high school. 
Fraternally Mr. Cumming is a Freemason and a mem- 
ber of the Order of Woodmen. For years he was one 
of the directors and the president of the Fair Associa- 
tion at Crookston three years. 



GULIK S. SPOKELY. 



Owning a fine farm in Section 13, Hubbard town- 
ship along the Red river, 1 mile north and 1 and i/o 
mile west of Neilsville, Gulik S. Spokely is comfort- 
ably fixed in a worldly way and almost beyond the 
reach of ill fortune. He is now living retired from 
active pursuits, but his period of toil was a long, 
exacting and very trying one. His life began at 

Fyresdal, Norway, June 12, 1842, and he came to the 
29 



United States in 1866, locating in Houston county, 
Minnesota, and there working as a farm laborer to 
make a living. 

In 1871 Mr. Spokely moved to Polk county and 
squatted on a quarter-section of land in a section not 
yet surveyed. The law was that such land had to be 
taken up on a pre-emption claim at $1.25 an acre, but 
he preferred to take his as a homestead and he sue- 



458 



coMPENDir:\r ov history and biography of polk county 



eeeded in doing so. For two yeai-s he lived in a dug- 
out in till' liillsidc, and worked for other settlers, as he 
had very little money. At the end of two years he put 
up a little log oahin, and in that the family lived until 
1913, when the present dwelling house was built, the 
fine barn on the place having been erected earlier. 

IMr. Spokely bought eighty acres of railroad land 
adjoining his homestead, with a rebate provision for 
$2.50 an acre when he should have sixty acres plowed, 
and an allowance of fifty cents more for every acre 
seeded in grain. He came to this county from Hous- 
ton county with a yoke of oxen, and with these he 
broke up most of his land. He also sold cord wood 
to the settlers on the prairie. For a time the hard- 
ships and privations of his life in this country made 
him long earnestly to return to his native land, but 
it was long before he had the means to gratify his 
wish in this respect, and by the time he got it he was 
over his longing and well satisfied here. 

At times ilr. Spokely worked in the lumber woods, 
where the labor was very hard but the wages were 
good, and after coming to Polk county lie was em- 
ployed on Red river boats going to Winnipeg and 
back. But in time he became a prosperous farmer and 
devoted his whole time to the cultivation of his land. 
For years he raised grain principally, but about ton 



years ago he began to give up a great deal of ground 
to potatoes, being the first man in his part of the 
county to raise them on a large scale. He devotes 5G 
to 100 acres a year to this product and it forms his 
leading crop. He usually sells liis potatoes as he 
digs them. 

Mr. Spokely has taken a great interest in school 
matters. He served as school treasurer of his district 
as long as he was willing to hold the office. lu 1870 
lie was married in Houston county to Miss Gunvor 
Simon, and they had one child when they came to 
Polk county. Eleven were added to their offspring 
later, and of the twelve six are living: Albert, of Neils- 
ville; Julius, of Crookston; Adolph, liLs twin brother, 
of Fargo ; Alexander, of Neilsville, and Annie and 
Sophia, at home. Julia, Theresa and Jlollie died in 
young womanhood and the other three in childhood. 

In religious connection Mr. Spokely belongs to the 
United Lutheran church at Neilsville, but he was one 
of the organizers of the Conference church at Nebj'. 
One year after his arrival in the United States his 
father, Salva Olso Spokely, came over and took a 
homestead in this county, on which he died at the age 
of sixty-six. Gulik's brother Ole also took up a tree 
claim on the prairie and passed the remainder of his 
days on it, dying when he was about fifty years old. 



W. G. jVroRPHY. 



It is not the purpose of this work to give a complete 
narrative of the life of Mr. Murphy. But his fruitful 
connection with the earlj' history and development of 
this region, especially with the development of tlie 
water powers along the Red Lake River have been so 
potential for good to this community that they are 
deserving of special mention in a work devoted ex- 
clusively to Polk county. Indeed so productive of 
large consequences have his activities been that no his- 
tory of the county could be written without some ac- 
count of them. 

Mr. Murphy was born in Hudson, St. Croix county, 
Wisconsin, July 23, 1859. Shortly after his birth his 



parents moved to a farm in Troy and later to a farm 
in Hammond. It was on this farm in Hammond tliat 
he chiefly spent his boyhood. He was educated in the 
country schools of the neighborhood and at Notre 
Dame, Indiana, and the University of Wisconsin. 

He went to Grand Forks in 1880 almost immediately 
after taking his degree from the law school and opened 
a law office. He had practiced law but a short time 
when the opportunity was presented him of taking 
over the Grand Forks ' ' Plain Dealer. ' ' He took con- 
trol of the paper and applied himself to the manage- 
ment Avith such energy that he soon had it in prosper- 
ous condition. It became a political power and wielded 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



459 



a strong influence in determining the territorial elec- 
tions. A subsidiary book-binding and job-office estab- 
lishment was built up with the newspaper and proved 
remarkably successful. Record books for the use of 
government clerks were prepared with exceptional 
care and the results were not slow in vindicating the 
pains which had been expended. Competition was 
practically driven out of the field. Mr. Murphy's 
legal experience was invaluable to him in the prepara- 
tion of these books which would have been worthless 
had any technical errors been permitted to creep into 
them. 

It was about this time that he became affiliated with 
the Gas Company in Grand Forks. He sold out the 
"Plain Dealer" in 1889 and then took complete con- 
trol of the Gas Company. He improved it and de- 
veloped it with such success that he was enabled to 
dispose of it at a handsome figure in 1910. 

In 1890 Mr. Murphy bought the controlling interest 
in the Crookston Water Works, Power & Light Com- 
pany, Crookston, Minnesota. At that time the com- 
pany was in the near state of bankruptcy. The ma- 
chinery was delapidated and outgrown and the build- 
ings ready to tumble down. Instead of trying to re- 
pair them he decided to rebuild the plant entirely in 
a new place, which was accomplished in 1892 at a con- 
siderable cost. At that time Mr. Murphy lived in 
Minneapolis but visited Crookston at least once a 
month. After the completion of the building opera- 
tions, he set about to increase the market for water 
and electric service even to the extent of giving con- 
sumers free installation of service. This policy was 
continued for several years until the business was 
built up to the extent that it would compare favorably 
with the most improved plants of its kind. In 1898 he 
sent representatives East to investigate the new sys- 
tem of central .station steam heating and after receiv- 
ing a favorable report from the representatives, he 
decided to install such a plant in Crookston in connec- 
tion with the steam reserve necessary for the water 
works and electric light plant. This was a new inno- 
vation and of great benefit to the community, giving 



as it did heat on tap at any time of the day or niglit 
to the business portion of the city. 

In 1905 Mr. JMurphy started to look up suitable loca- 
tions on the Red Lake River between Thief River Falls 
and Crookston for the construction of dams and water 
powers and in subsequent years acquired title to sev- 
eral locations including the dam, water power and 
electric light plant at Red Lake Falls. Several of 
the water powers, including the Red Lake Falls 
Water Power & Electric Light plant was sold at the 
same time as the Grand Forks Gas & Electric Com- 
pany but he still retained title to several others. In 
1912 he began operations to construct a dam and 
water power five miles east of Crookston. This plant 
was completed and put in operation in the spring of 
1914, having a capacity of 3000 H.P., part of which 
has been sold to the Crookston Water Wks. Pr. & Lt. 
Co. and the balance over a transmission line to the 
Red River Power Company of Grand Forks. 

These activities in Polk county have been an im- 
portant factor in its development. The high class of 
service furnished the City of Crookston has been much 
commented on. It has made Crookston a better place 
to live in because of it. ]\Ir. Murphy's foresight in 
developing latent water powers along the Red Lake 
River has effectively benefited a large number of the 
residents of the county. The land values in the neigh- 
borhood of the completed development five miles east 
of Crookston has increased the price of the land prob- 
ably as much as $10 per acre and besides the farming 
community adjacent to the dam and transmission line 
are enabled to receive electric power and light service 
the same as the people living in the city. 

Mr. Murphy has made a lasting impression on the 
life of Crookston and Polk county that will survive 
for generations to come. 

In 1891 he went to Chicago intending to take a short 
rest before going to New York where he expected to 
resume the practice of law. Mr. Lowry, of this city, 
who had heard of him tlirough Senator Pierce, met 
him in Chicago with a proposition that he take charge 
of the business affairs of The Tribune. Mr. Murphy 



460 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



then took up liis home in Miimeapolis and became as- 
sociated with The Tribune which he later came to con- 
trol completely. The Tribune was in a precarious 
financial condition when he first became connected 
with it and only escaped failure in the panic of 1893 
bj' the narrowest of margins. One particularly bad 
fire a few years afterward proved the only striking 
event of its subsequently prosperous career. The 
"Minneapolis Times" was absorbed by The Tribune 
in 1905 £ind in 1910 Mr. Mui-phy took over the Cen- 
tury Building which was converted into The Tribune 
Annex. 



Jlr. Murphy was married in 1886 to Miss Josephine 
Hopkins of Chicago. Four children, two sons and two 
daughters, have resulted from the union. Mr. 
Murphy continues to exercise direct supervision and 
control of his newspaper and other properties, giving 
to them the benefit of a trained mind and business 
experience which have made them successful and 
highly efficient. He lives during the summer at Lake 
;\Iiiuietonka and finds much pleasure in a splendid 
house boat and motor boat which he has had built 
under his special directions. He usually spends a por- 
tion of each winter in California or Florida. 



HALBERT P. BOUKIND. 



Although he is now engaged principally in culti- 
vating and improving his fine farm of 320 acres, in 
Section 32, Roome township, three miles west of 
Eldred, Halbert P. Boukiud has tried his hand at 
various useful occupations and has done excellent 
work and won a good reputation in each. He was 
born in Wisconsin December 11, 1873, and is the son 
of Peter and Maria Boukind, who were born, reared 
and married in Norway and came to this country and 
located in Wisconsin in 1870. In 1878 they drove to 
this county with a team of horses, and the father filed 
on the land now occupied by his son Halbert, which he 
at once began farming with oxen, having lost his 
horses. 

In 1894 the parents turned the farm over to Halbert 
and joined the Bella-Ceola colon}', which was organ- 
ized by Rev. Mr. Sangstad to start a settlement on the 
Pacific coast in Briti.sh Columbia 400 miles north of 
Vancouver. After passing seven years in the colony 
the Boukinds returned to this county, and three years 
later the father was stricken witli paralysis, from 
which he has never recovered. He is now living with 
Halbert. The mother died in 1913. They had seven 
children. Karen married Halvor Lunos and became 
the mother of eleven children. She died in 1909. Ole 
died in January, 1913. He was unmarried and passed 
the whole of his life on the homestead. Nellie is the 



wife of Paul Bjornerud and lives on tlie farm adjoin- 
ing Halbert 's. Clara is the wife of Thomas Twite, a 
commercial salesman living in Crookston. Peter is a 
dealer in lumber and real estate in Crookston. Minnie 
is the wife of Olof Myckle, of Devil's Lake, North 
Dakota. 

Halbert P. Boukind never went to school until he 
Avas sixteen years old, as there was no district school 
in his neighborhood, but when he started he made 
rapid progi*ess. After attending three terms of three 
months each in his home district, three months in 
Grand Forks and nine months in Crookston he re- 
ceived a certificate as a teacher, and during the next 
ten years he taught schools in the vicinity of his home, 
the first one of which he had charge being tlie home 
school, which he taught for four terms. lie was very 
successful and was rapidly promoted. His pay at the 
start was $35 a month, but it soon reached $50, which 
was the highest then allowed. During his teaching 
he took an active part in all institute work. 

After leaving the profes.sion of teaching Mr. 
Boukind passed five years at Eldred as manager of the 
co-operative store and postmaster, manager of the 
co-operative creamery and agent on construction work 
for the railroad company. He then succeeded to the 
ownership of the store, and during the next four years 
he conducted it on his own account. About the end 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



461 



of this period his brother and his mother died on the 
farm, and his services were required in connection 
with the management of his interests there. So he 
sold the store and returned to the farm in 1913. He 
is also interested in a threshing outfit, and in 1915 
closed his second successful season as its manager. 

One of Mr. Boukind 's specialties on his farm is rais- 
ing black Orpington chickens, of which he alwaj's has 
a large lot, well-bred and reared with the utmost care. 
His products have taken a number of first prizes at 
the shows of tlie Northwestern Poultry Association. 
He is also still deeply interested in school work and 
was one of the leaders in obtaining the establishment 
of the new consolidated school district at Eldred. In 
addition he is editor of ' ' The Boo.ster, ' ' a publication 
that has attracted the attention to literary societies by 
the excellence of its contents in a literary and educa- 
tional way, and is a justice of the peace and has served 
as towushiiD assessor four years. He and the other 
members of the family belong to the Sand Hill Luth- 



eran church, and he is also active and helpful in con- 
nection with the affairs of the Community church at 
Eldred, singing in its choir and taking part in all its 
work of every kind. He is a firm believer in the value 
of athletic activities and outdoor sports of every proper 
character, and has zealously encouraged baseball 
games and other contests of strength and skill. Being 
a bachelor he can find time to give such matters atten- 
tion, and being a hustler he boosts them, as he does 
everything else in M'hich he takes an interest, with all 
his might. 

During the June term of the United States district 
court held in St. Paul in 1914 Mr. Boukind was a 
member of the petit jury drawn by Judge Page 
Morris, and during his service in that capacity he met 
many of the leading legal lights of Minnesota and the 
country. He found his experience in this jury service 
very interesting and profitable to him, as he is a dili- 
gent inquirer in all lines of intellectual activity. 



PAT LEALAS. 



Pat Lealas, the pioneer settler of Bygland town- 
ship, is widely known throughout the county as one 
of the few survivors of that sturdy band of men who 
with the steady perseverance of the race of frontiers- 
man surmounted all difficulties and hardships lay- 
ing the foundations for the prosperity and accomplish- 
ment of today. As citizen, farmer and neighbor, his 
career has been marked by a personality, strongly 
typical of the virtues of his countrymen, possessed of 
a geniality, the ready humor and adventurous spirit 
which lends peculiar charm to Irish character, Mr. 
Lealas has made the people of Polk county his friends, 
and as a worthy and able citizen enjoys the respect 
and esteem of all. He was born in County Wexford, 
Ireland, and was reared in his native land, becoming 
apprenticed to the carpenter trade. On coming to 
America he located in Ontario, where he spent eleven 
years working at his trade. In 1871 a brother, 
Edward Lealas settled in Huntsville township, and in 



the following year Pat Lealas came to Minnesota, 
being the first of a number of settlers who came from 
County Lanark to Polk county. He was the first 
.settler in Bygland township, which was not yet siu-- 
veyed, and squatted on the northwest quarter of 
section one, the tract being traversed by the Red 
river, a boundary which later involved Mr. Lealas in 
litigation with the railroad company in which he 
established his title to the contested tract. He erected 
a shanty on the site of his present home and doing 
the first years supported his family trapping otter 
and other small game in which the country abounded, 
being instructed in this new means of livelihood by 
Mike Ferry, the partner of his brother, Edward 
Lealas. His reminicence of these days are unusually 
enjoyable, being enriched by numerous appreciation 
and the genius of a natural recounter of tales. The 
many adventures of the hunter and trapper in a land 
abounding in wild game furnishes ample material for 



462 



COMPENDIU:\r OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



anecdotes of greatest interest to the resident of today. 
Bear were among the wild visitors of that day and the 
largest specimen seen here was shot by Mr. Lealas near 
his cabin. In later years be added to his homestead, 
purchasing a quarter section of railroad land and has 
devoted his life to the development of his agricultural 
interests, and has given particular attention to raising 
well bred horses. As one of the organizers of the 
township he has given faithful and intelligent co-op- 
eration in furthering the best interests of the com- 
munity, and is one of the original members of the 
Catholic chvirch at Fisher. Edward Lealas was a well 
known pioneer of the region and made his home on his 
land on the south side of Red Lake river until his 
death. Two sisters also became residents of Polk 
county, Ann, who married James Martin, and Eliza- 



beth, who married Michael Quirk. Pat Lealas was 
married in Canada to Bridget Power, who is a native 
of Waterford, Ireland, and to this union were born 
eight children, si.^: of whom are now living, John, on 
the home farm; Joe and James who are located at 
Bermidji; Mary Ann, the wife of James 'Grady; 
Maggie, who married Henry Schustmer, and Alice, the 
wife of Tim McManus, all of whom are residents of 
Bermidji. Two sons, Patrick Lealas and Edward 
Lealas, are dead. After almost a half century in Polk 
county Mr. Lealas is enjoying the latter years of a 
busy life, keenly interested in and allied with the 
affairs of the day through his many friendships with 
men of achievement and accorded the full regard 
due the sturdv American citizen. 



KORNELIUS H. VALOR. 



During all of the last thirty-seven years Kornelius 
H. Valor has lived on and cultivated his fine farm in 
Section 26, Tynsid township, this county. He came 
here in 1877 and took the pre-emption on 120 acres 
and jiroved up one forty of this in 1879 and then 
bought 80 acres of a homesteader, which made 160 
acres as a homestead. He now has 200 acres, and the 
fann is pleasantly located nine miles nortliwest of 
Climax, twent.y miles south of Grand Forks and 
eighteen miles southwest of Crookston. In 1914 he 
built on it a very convenient and comfortable twelve- 
room dwelling house, but the barn and other outbuild- 
ings were erected some years previous to that time. 

The farm was originally prairie land, and there was 
nothing but a little log cabin standing on it and but 
few acres were broken when he bought it. Nearly all 
of it is now yielding annual crops of magnitude and 
good quality, wheat, barley and oats being the staple 
productions, but dairy products from seven to ten 
milch cows also forming a substantial factor in the 
business. Mr. Valor has conducted the farming and 
cattle operations himself from the beginning until 
recently, when his son Rudolph took charge of them. 



relieving his father of all necessity for laborious work 
or business cares in connection with them. 

Mr. Valor is a stockholder in the co-operative cream- 
ery at Eldred, seven miles from his home, and he sup- 
plies it with cream. His grain crop in 191.5 was 2,600 
bushels of wheat, 1,450 of oats and 300 of barley. He 
was born in Norway August 4, 1850, and became a 
resident of Ottertail county, Minnesota, in 1876. He 
was reared and married in his native land and there 
also he learned the carpenter trade. This, with his 
wife and two children, constituted his whole earthly 
estate when he came to this country, and he was in 
debt for a part of his passage money to his new home. 
A few months after his arrival in IMinnesota with his 
family he moved to Polk county and located on his 
present farm. He hired a man to break up four acres 
of it and worked at his trade while waiting for his 
crops to become sufficient to provide for his household. 
In the affairs of his township Mr. Valor has always 
taken a good citizen's active and helpful part. He 
served several terms as supervisor at different times 
and for years as a member of the school board. His 
political affiliation was first with the Republican party 



COMPENDIU]\I OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



463 



and afterward with the Populist party while it flour- 
ished, but for soiue years lie has voted with the Demo- 
<irats at all general elections. In religious connection 
he is a member of the Free Lutheran church. 

Mr. Valor was married in Norway to Miss Mary 
Peterson. She died in 1902. They were the parents 
of twelve children, only one of whom, Rudolph, is liv- 
ing. Two died in infancy of diphtheria and the others 
in early life of consumption. Rudolph, who is now 



cultivating the farm, married Miss Augusta Berland 
of Bygland township. They have two children, Alfou 
and Marion. Rudolph was born on the farm Feb- 
ruary 8, 1891, and after he grew to manhood spent 
some time in the state of Washington. He has had 
charge of the home place two years. Mr. Valor also 
owns 140 acres in the town of Roome and altogether 
that makes 340 acres. 



SIMON BOISVERT. 



Simon Boisvert, of East Grand Forks, a retired 
farmer of Huntsville township, was born in Wheeling, 
West Virginia, March 31, 1852. He was reared in 
Canada, near Montreal, and came to Minnesota in 
1882. For a number of years he lived in Grand Porks 
and worked as a carpenter in the employ of the Great 
Northern railroad, engaged in the constructions of the 
company's various buildings along its route, working 
as far westward as San Coule, Montana. Since 1889 
he has devoted his attention to farming, enjoying 
prosperous success in his various agricultural enter- 
prises. His interests are divided between an eight 
acre tract within the city limits of East Grand Forks, 
and his farm of one hundred and seven acres, a mile 
and a half distant, on the south side of the Red Lake 
river. Of late years he has made his home on his 
property in East Grand Poi'ks, while hLs son, Ed Bois- 
vert, resides on the larger farm, which they operate in 
partnership. Mr. Boisvert is a member of the Sacred 
Heart Catholic ehiircli and a citizen of worth and 



esteem in the community in which he lives. In polit- 
ical affairs his allegiance is given to the Republican 
party. As a young man he was an ardent sportsman, 
and derived great pleasure and skill from this recrea- 
tion, but later the many duties and responsibilities of 
the farm left meager time for sports. Mr. Boisvert 
is perhaps more widel.y known as Greenwood, the Eng- 
lish translation of his French surname, which is gen- 
erally used by his children, but prefers the original 
rendering of the family name. He was married in 
Canada to Mary Jeffrey, a native of that country, and 
sixteen years of age at the time of her marriage. They 
have seven children, Josephine, the wife of John 
Mero; Joseph, a farmer, who was married to Vina 
Pelkeg ; John, who married Rose Robert, and is farm- 
ing in Huntsville township ; Ida the wife of R. E. 
Fullerton, of East Grand Porks; Lillie, the wife of 
Willia Bach, of Reinhart township ; Ed, who lives on 
his father's farm, and was married to Mabel Schow, 
and Willie. . 



JOHN 0. EGGEN. 



The late John 0. Eggen, who was for years one of 
the leading farmers and substantial citizens of North- 
land township, with a good and well improved farm 
in Section 30, seven miles and a half north of East 
Grand Forks, was a man of force of character and 
great positiveness, and, as he was generally properly 
interested in pro.jects for the development and im- 
provement of his locality, he was an influence for good 



that everybody respected and a very useful factor in 
the promotion of his township's progress. He was 
born December 5, 1819, in the historic city of Trond- 
hjem, Norway, and came to the United States in 1857, 
locating in Wisconsin, where he was employed on a 
farm and in the lumber woods for a period of two 
years. 

In 1859 Jlr. Eggen changed his residence to Good- 



464 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



hue county, Minnesota, and there he took a pre-emj)- 
tion claim and developed it into a good and pro- 
ductive farm, remaining on it for a continuous period 
of about twenty years. In 1878 he sold his farm and 
moved to Polk county, taking up as a homestead the 
farm in Northland township on which his widow and 
daughter now live. When he sold his farm in Good- 
liue county he was tired of farming and expected to 
retire, but two years afterward he could not resist 
the temptation to return to his life-long vocation, and 
so obtained another farm. His operations had been 
successful in Goodhue county, and he had about 
$5,000 when he located in Polk county. On arriving 
here he rented a house, which was then the best to be 
found north of the Marias river. 

Mr. Eggen, II. H. Flatten and Carl Lindgren, who 
were all from the same place in Norway, teamed to 
this county together, Mr. Flatten being the cousin of 
I\Ir. Eggen 's mother. Mr. Eggen took the Southeast 
quarter of Section 30 as a homestead and built on it 
a fairly good frame house which is still standing. He 
M'as older than his companions and gave them employ- 
ment, their first work for him being the erection of 
this house. The dwelling inhabited by the family now 
was built in 1889 not far from the first one, and the 
difference between them as they stand near together 
marks the progress of the owners between the two 
periods of their construction. In addition to his 
homestead the newcomer bought fifty acres of land on 



the Red river, three miles west of his farm, and during 
liis life he cultivated that also. 

While living in Goodhue county Mr. Eggen agreed 
to pay the passage of his nephew, Erick Eggen, across 
the ocean if the boy's parents would allow him to 
eomc to his uncle in the New World. The youth came 
over, being about twelve years old then, and was edu- 
cated by his uncle, with whom he i-emained about six 
years, accompanying him to this county and still liv- 
ing with him until he located on the farm he bought 
from the uncle. When they came to Polk county a 
neighbor, John Bergen, accompanied them and they 
drove one of Mr. Bergen's teams, and also settled on 
land near his. 

In January, 1887, Mr. Eggen was married to Miss 
Oliana Mogaed, a native of Norway, who came to this 
county the year before her mai-riage and worked some 
months for IMr. Eggen. Slie was a great help to him 
in the transaction of his business, doing all his clerical 
work, and she is still carrying on the farm. They 
became the parents of one child, their daughter, Annie, 
who is now a young lady and living with her mother. 
They also reared from the age of seven Lydia Nelson, 
a relative of Mr. Eggen, who is also with Mrs. Eggen, 
and is now fourteen and whose mother died while the 
daughter was a child. Mrs. Eggen and her daughter 
belong to the Grand Marias Lutheran church in the 
cemetery attached to which the remains of Mr. Eggen 
were buried. 



OLE A. ]MICKELSON. 



Mr. Mickelson, who is a progressive and prosperous 
farmer and grain thresher, and has been a merchant, 
and in all places where he has lived a public-spirited 
and enterprising citizen, zealously interested in the 
welfare and improvement of his community, lias re- 
sided in Polk county continuously since 1883, when he 
came to the county with his parents, Mickel j\I. and 
Ingebor Martha (Olson) Mathison, natives of Nor- 
way. The son was born at Thronhjen, in that country, 
April 9, 1866, and remained there until 1873, when 



the family emigrated to the United States and located 
in Jackson county, Minnesota, which was its liome 
until the family residence was changed to Polk coun- 
ty. The father died in the village of Winger in May, 
1915, at the age of sixty-eight. He and his wife were 
the parents of ten children, of whom their son Ole 
was the first born. 

Jlr. I\Iickelson was reared to fai'm work and he has 
been engaged in it ever since he was large and strong 
enough to take a hand at it. For a period of about 




W. S. ANGLIM 



COxMPENDlUM OP HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



465 



four years he was merchandising at Winger, and he 
now operates a threshing outfit in connection with his 
farming activities. He invented the Fosston wind 
cleaner for tlireshing machines, which was patented 
in this country in 1898, and is now in extensive use 
in many parts of the United States and also in Canada. 
On December 16, 1905, Mr. Mickelsen was married 
to Miss Anna Olson, a daughter of Christ Olson, and 



a native of Polk county. They have three children, 
Ida A., Alpha and Florence. In religious affiliation 
the parents are connected with Synod Lutheran 
church, and in official life Mr. Mickelsen is a member 
and chairman of the township school board. He takes 
great interest in his work on the board and it is highly 
appreciated by the people. 



AVILLIAM S. ANGLIM. 



Among the early residents and business men of 
Crookston none stood higher in public esteem as a 
broad-minded and public-spirited citizen and as a 
progressive and resourceful merchant of large business 
capacity than the late William Anglim, member of 
the firm of Fontaine & Anglim. These gentlemen for 
a number of years conducted the leading general mer- 
chandising establishment in the whole Red river re- 
gion, and so well did they understand and so com- 
pletely did they meet the requirements of the region 
that they laid almost every part of it under tribute 
to their trade. 

William Anglim was born May 25, 1843, at Brock- 
ville, in the province of Ontario, Canada. He left 
home at an early age and worked for a few years in 
the state of New York. He then came west to Detroit, 
Michigan, and entered the service of the American 
Express company. After a short term of faithful and 
appreciated work in a minor capacity in the employ 
of this company he was promoted to the position of 
railroad expressman on the run between Tomah, Wis- 
consin, and St. Paul, ]\Iinnesota. 

While thus engaged Mr. Anglim cherished a desire 
which was bom in him early and gained vigor with 
his growth. This was to have a business of his own, 
and the desire at length became so strong that he could 
resist it no longer. He heard of the promising possi- 
bilities of Northwestern Minnesota and determined to 
see what he could do in this locality. So in 1878 he 
changed his residence from St. Paul to Crookston and, 
in company with Louis Fontaine, bought the stock and 



business of W. D. Bailey, a general merchant in the 
latter city, or at the frontier settlement in the woods 
as it was then. His association with Mr. Fontaine 
came through an advertisement for a business partner 
which Mr. Anglim inserted in the newspapers in St. 
Paul. Their business grew to vast proportions, and 
they also conducted a branch store at Argyle, in Mar- 
shall county, this state, with conspicuous success and 
a very large trade. 

The partnership between Mr. Anglim and Mr. Fon- 
taine continued for more than a quarter of a ceuturj'. 
They started their business in a little log house on the 
main road running through the village, which was 
then full of stumps of trees that had been cut down 
to make an opening for the march of improvement, 
and when they retired from business they turned over 
to their successors the finest, largest and most com- 
plete and comprehensive department store in North- 
ern Minnesota. 

In addition to being one of the leading merchants 
of the Red river valley Mr. Anglim was also one of 
Crookston 's foremost men in connection with public 
affairs. He was always a staunch Democrat in his 
political faith and alliance, but without regard to 
political considerations he was elected to every im- 
portant office in the gift of the people. He was chosen 
either alderman or mayor of the city whenever he 
would consent to serve, and was a member of the 
school board for nearly twenty years. His conspicu- 
ous ability and sterling citizenship also received na- 
tional recognition, President Cleveland, in his second 



466 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



term, appointing him receiver of tlie United States 
land office at Crookston. He also took an active in- 
terest in other business institutions besides his own, 
serving as a director and the vice president of the 
First National Bank of Crookston from its organiza- 
tion until his death, for years as an official of several 
country banks and also for a time as an official of 
the Wheeler-Misner Loan company of Crookston. 

In fraternal relations Mr. Anglim was connected 
with the Order of Elks, and he was one of the promi- 
nent members of its Lodge in Crookston, of which he 
was the Exalted Ruler for two terms; also a member 
of the Knights of Columbvis. In religious faitli he was 
a devout Catholic, holding his raemljership in St. 
Mary's church, which he served as treasurer for many 
years, and to whose welfare he was earnestly and zeal- 
ously devoted. He was a man of high ideals, strict 
integrity and a keen and imperative sense of honor. 
In his domestic relations he was genial and generously 



considerate, devoted to his family and willing at all 
times to make any sacrifice of his personal convenience 
or desires to promote its happiness. When he retired 
from business he returned to St. Paul to live, and at 
St. Joseph's hospital in that city his useful life ended 
on July 22, 1910, when he was a little over sixty-seven 
years of age. 

Mr. Anglim was married in Tomah, Wisconsin, Oc- 
tober 1, 1873, to Miss Mary Durham, who was born 
in Loekport, Pennsylvania, Januai-y 28, 1853, and 
died August 19th, 1895. Of their children three are 
living: Mrs. C. R. Winslow, who is a resident of Wa- 
tertown. South Dakota ; W. G. Anglim, who is a mem- 
ber of the firm of Whaley & Anglim, wholesale hat and 
cap merchants in St. Paul, and H. T. Anglim, who is 
also a resident of Watertown, South Dakota. The 
parents are both buried at Crookston and the family 
still have large property interests in Crookston and 
Polk County. 



HENRY H. OBERG. 



After many years of hard labor, during which he 
encountered and overcame a number of difficulties 
and disasters, this enterprising and progressive citizen 
and successful farmer is now living retired in the vil- 
lage of Alvarado, IMarshall county, where he occupies 
himself in keeping a livery barn and feed stable in 
order to have something to engage his attention. At 
one time he owned 920 acres of land in Saudsville 
township, which he helped to organize in 1883, and 
240 acres in Higdem township, and for some years 
superintended and personally directed the cultivation 
of it all. He has, however, recently sold the greater 
part of his real estate to his children. 

Mr. Oberg came from Renville county to Polk in 
1882 and took a homestead on the Southwest quarter 
of Section 22, in what is now Sandsville township, on 
Snake river. He had two yoke of oxen and was accom- 
panied by John Hendriekson, now deceased, who took 
a homestead in Section 28. Martin Sands was then 
the only settler within the limits of the present town- 



ship, and he had come earlier in the same year. The 
next year Henry Nelson, Ole Engson and Henry Hen- 
drick.son joined the colony, and after them came others 
in more rapid course. 

There was some timber along Snake river and from 
it the new settlers put up a little log shanty and each 
broke up ten acres of his land. They were not mar- 
ried and lived together after the house was built, but 
luitil then they slept in their wagon. They did fenc- 
ing for pasture land during the winter and got ready 
for the next year's work. Then they brought live 
stock from Renville county, and plowed ground and 
sowed wheat. But the land was wet, and the ten acres 
Mr. Oberg had in wheat yielded only eighty bushels 
of good grain. 

Mr. Oberg was married in 1888 to Miss Mary Paul- 
son. By this time he had built another log house and 
had raised several good crops. He had also taken a 
tree claim in Section 26, and in time he made this 
one of the best tree claims in the county. He bought 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



467 



railroad laud at $6 an acre, but with no rebate, and 
later bought more at $8 an acre. His father, whose 
name was also Henry H. Oberg, came to Polk county 
in 1883 and took up a homestead on which he died two 
years afterward. On the death of the father this land 
passed into the ownership of the son. 

When the township was organized in 1883 it was 
named in honor of Martin Sands, its first settler. Mr. 
Oberg was township treasurer and assessor at different 
times. After cultivating all his land in this town- 
ship for a number of years he began renting parts 
of it to his sons, and in 1915 he had six farms worked 
by them. About 1895 he erected the house which is 
now on his home place, and which is one of the best 
in the northern part of the county. The farm has a 
flowing well 160 feet deep, which furnishes more 
water than is needed, and there is a large drove of 



Shorthorn cattle of good strains on the place at all 
times. Mr. Oberg divided his land among his chil- 
dren and moved to Alvarado in 1914. He has five chil- 
dren, all unmarried, and working together. They are 
Ililma, Albert, Oscar, Emma and Selma. 

The mother of these children died in 1907, and in 
1912 the father contracted a second marriage which 
united him with Miss Thea Olson. They have one 
child, their son, Henry Melvin, now (1915) two j'ears 
old. The parents are members of the Kronsvinger Nor- 
wegian Lutheran church, in Esther township, which 
Mr. Oberg helped to organize and of which he was 
one of the trustees for many years. He has always 
taken an active interest in the affairs of his township 
and rendered it every service devolving on a good 
citizen, and its residents hold him in high esteem for 
all he has done. 



HAYES BROTHERS. 



James C. and Samuel C. Hayes, who are associated 
in business as partners and are almost inseparable, 
although they maintain separate homes on opposite 
sides of the main road leading through their land, are 
among the most extensive, enterprising, progressive 
and s\iccessful farmers in the Red River valley. They 
cultivate with great energy and in the most approved 
present-day methods over 2,000 acres of land, and 
have a great deal more which will be brought into 
productiveness within a short time. Their land is in 
Sections 9 and 16, Hubbard township, three and three- 
quarters miles northeast of Neilsville, five and a quar- 
ter miles southeast of Climax and twenty-two miles 
southwest of Crookston. 

The brothers were born, reared, educated and mar- 
ried in Union county, Pennsylvania, and began their 
business careers as lumbermen in the timber camps of 
their native state. They have been partners from their 
youth, and have succeeded broadly because of the 
iniity of effort that has directed their business ability 
and enterprise. James' life began July 6, 1844, and 
Samuel's June 13, 1847. Their father was a lawyer 



and a surveyor, and he, his father and one of his sons 
served Union county, Pennsylvania, as county sur- 
veyors each in his day. After some years of anxiety 
and discontent in the practice of law the father of 
James and Samuel abandoned it because of his scru- 
ples in connection with some requirements of the pro- 
fession, but continued to give his neighbors and 
friends free legal advice. 

The progenitors of this Hayes family's American 
branch came from the North of Ireland and settled in 
Pennsylvania in 1727. They were of Scotch ancestry 
and Covenanters in religion, and the members of the 
family now living are zealous adherents of the faith 
of their forbears, all belonging to the Presbyterian 
church. The members of the family have been patriots 
in this country for generations, too. Four of them 
were commissioned officers of the Continental army 
during the Revolution, three of them being captains 
and the fourth a lieutenant. James C, during our 
Civil war, served nine months in the Army of the 
Potomac and the rest of three years in the United 
States navy as a common sailor. 



468 



COMPENDIUjr OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



When the luinlicr trade showed signs of exhaustion 
in Pennsylvania James C. Hayes sought a Western 
field of operation in the same line, as neither he nor 
his brother had any early inclination to farming. He 
was induced by an editor friend at Pembina to come 
to the Red River valley in 1878, and the next year 
his brother Samuel joined him here. They bought a 
section of railroad land in the town of Hubbard at 
$7.50 an acre, with the usual rebate of $3 an acre for 
breaking and cultivating, and on this land they located 
in 1881. They had only $2,000 between them, hut 
James also took up a homestead in Reis township and 
Samuel a pre-emption claim in Liberty township. They 
had some live .stock and farming implements, but were 
not well supplied for extensive farming operations, 
avid had several j'ears of difficulty in the business. 

In hard years they suffered from crop failures and 
other losses, and were unable to make the stipulated 
payments on their land. But they found the railroad 
company generous in its accommodations, and now 
have none but words of praise for James J. Hill and 
his policy in selling land and encouraging settlers. 
They also found the Polk county banks liberal in spirit 
and action, and they also commend the bankers of this 
county highl.y. They have been large borrowers from 
the banks and have always been promptly accommo- 
dated. 

Soon after locating here the brotliers bought all of 



School Section 16, in Hubbard township, which gave 
them an aggregate of 2,480 acres, 240 acres of which 
are devoted to raising hay. 

The specialty of the Hayes brothers is grain, and 
they have adliered to raising it from the beginning. 
Their crop in 1915, which was lessened one-third by 
the wetness of the season, amounted to 25,000 bushels. 
They have their own elevator on the farm and it has 
a capacity of 40,000 bushels. Seven men are employed 
by the month dui-ing parts of the year and three 
throughout the year, while twenty are I'equired dur- 
ing the threshing season. The lirothers plow with a 
gas engine and use it also in threshing, and they also 
use forty horses in their work, although they have a 
great deal of money invested in first-class modern 
machinery. 

James C. Hayes was married in his native county 
in 1884 to Miss Mary Glover, who is also a native of 
that county. They have had three children, but lost 
them all in their childhood. Samuel C. Hayes was 
married in Pennsylvania in 1893, to Miss Ella Burn 
of Harrisburg, in that state. They have no children. 
The brothers have always been warmly and serviceably 
interested in the progress and development of Polk 
county, and have been potent factors in making and 
keeping up the good roads for which Hubbard town- 
ship is noted. They are well pleased with Minnesota 
and desire to live in no other place. 



KENN BROTHERS. 



The firm of Kenn Bros., leading and extensive in its 
agricultural operations, and well and favorably known 
all over Polk county and tliose which adjoin Polk, is 
composed of Alexander, James Drunnnond, John Ram- 
sey and Edmund Kenn, sons of the late James and 
Christina (Barnett) Kenn, who have their lieadquar- 
ters on Section 23, Grand Forks township, on a farm 
on which their father located in 1878. The father was 
bom in Aberdeen, Scotland, and became a resident 
of this county in the spring of the year last named. 
He emigrated from his native land some years earlier 



and was married in Canada, to I\Iiss Christina Bar- 
nett, who was born in Scotland and brought across the 
Atlantic in her childhood. 

At the time of their marriage the father was forty 
and the mother was twenty-eight. Robert Anderson, 
a friend of the family, was living in tlie Red River val- 
ley soon afterwai'd, and he induced the Kenns, who 
were farming in Canada, to come to where he was and 
seek a better opportunity for advancement in a new 
region with all its possibilities still to be developed. 
Mr. Kenn traveled by rail to Fisher, the end of the 



COMPENDIUM OP HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



469 



line tlien, and by boat to Grand Forks. He bought his 
hxnd of the railroad company at $7 an acre, with the 
usual rebate condition in the contract, his first pur- 
chase comprising eighty acres, to which he added 160 
more soon afterward, the whole tract of 240 acres be- 
ing in one body. 

Mr. Kenn had very little money and was not able 
to own a horse for some months after his arrival. Dur- 
ing his first year in Polk county he worked for other 
farmers, breaking up what he could of his eighty 
acres, and when the next spring came he found him- 
self the owner of an ox team and ground that wa.s 
ready for seeding. His land lay next to the eighty 
acres owned by his friend Anderson, and with the 
help of that gentleman he built a log cabin sixteen 
feet square and began farming operations which in 
time grew to large proportions. He died June 9, 1891, 
at the age of seventy-one, but that same year he be- 
gan the erection of the house now on the farm and 
bought 160 acres of additional land in Northland 
township, intending to continue and extend his farm- 
ing industry, being a grain grower and devoted to his 
work and special line of production. 

Mr. Kenn was active in township affairs and for 
many years filled various township offices, among them 
those of member of the township board, township as- 



sessor and school director. He was a member of the 
Presbyterian church in Grand Forks to his death, and 
his remains were buried in the cemetery connected 
with that church. The mother is still alive. They 
were the parents of six children, Alexander, James 
Drummond, Margaret, John Ramsey B., Agnes Jane 
and Edmund, all but one of whom are living in Polk 
county. Margaret is the wife of J. C. Dangerfield, of 
East Grand Forks, and Agnes Jane married J. C. 
Fegenshau and lives in Miles City, Jlontana. 

John R. B. Kenn married Miss Margaret Fraser 
and lives in Esther township, three miles north of the 
home place. His three brothers, who are with him 
in the firm of Kenn Bros., live on the home place and 
are unmarried. The firm owns the 220 acres on which 
J. R. B. lives and 160 more near that place. They 
carry on general farming, breed dairy and beef cat- 
tle and raise their own horses, using twelve in their 
farm work. They are deeply interested in the welfare 
and advancement of Polk county, especially the two 
townships in which their property lies, and have ren- 
dered valuable service in different public offices. But 
their attention has been given mainly to their farming 
interests, and these they have conducted with skill, 
good judgment and prudent management. They en- 
joy the esteem of all who know them. 



JOHN CONNERAN. 



This gentleman, who was for years one of the most 
extensive and enterprising farmers in this county, 
owning 920 acres of land in it, and cultivating nearly 
all of it, has had a very interesting and in some re- 
spects striking career. The land is still all in his 
family, some of it having been given by him to his 
sons, and his own home farm of 160 acres is in Sec- 
tion 6, Roome township, twelve miles southwest of 
Crookstou. He was bom in County Galway, Ireland, 
November 10, 1844, and came to the United States in 
1862, landing at New York May 2, and at once join- 
ing his brother Lawrence in New Jersey. 

Two years later Mr. Conneran's father came over 



and they all moved up into New York state, where 
they lived for a number of years and then returned to 
New Jei'sey. John was a brakeman on a railroad for 
a time and afterward a conductor until his marriage 
in New Jersey in 1872 to Miss Anna Logan, the sister 
of John and Thomas Logan. He then became a sec- 
tion boss and held the job for seven years, and during 
his railroad service he saved $1,000 of his earnings 
as a stake for a contemplated venture in the distant 
West, as it was then, and late in 1887 he brought his 
family to Fisher, in this county, to be with his wife's 
people, the Logans and Mrs. Baraey Heggarty. 
Mr. Conneran took his place in Roome township as 



470 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTOKY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



a homestead. Ilis inother-iu-law, Mrs. Kate Logan, 
had a claim on it for a time, but she allowed him to 
file on it, which he did in the spring of 1888, and he 
has since lived on it. By I\Iay 15, 1888, he had his 
house built and was occupying it. The farm is on the 
prairie three miles out from the Red river. I\Ir. Cou- 
neran has since bought 160 acres more in Section 6, 
and 160 in Section 32, eighty in Section 8 and forty 
in Section 7, Fisher township, and he also owns 320 
acres in AVoodside township. The last is only a ([uar- 
ter of a mile south of ]\Iaple lake and a few miles 
south of the village of IMentor, in which he also owns 
some property which is rapidly growing in value. 

At one time Mr. Conneran spent four or five years 
on his Woodside farm getting out cordwood, which he 
shipped in carload lots to Crookston and Grand 
Forks, employing ten to twelve choppers and sending 
oft" 1,000 to 3,000 cords a year, his shipment being 
a carload every day one winter. His farming opera- 
tions were also carried on on a large scale. His cus- 
tomary output at the height of his business was 400 
to 500 acres in wheat, and he also kept 50 to 75 head 
of cattle when he had range for them, but he now 
keeps about 25 head, and in addition milks ten to 
twelve cows for butter, and ha.s milked 18 to 20 some 
years. The butter is made at his home and taken to 



Crookston, where it is sold mostly to private customers. 

Mr. and Mrs. Conneran are the parents of nine 
children, all of whom are living. John is living on a 
farm of 160 acres in Fisher township given to him by 
his father. JIary is the wife of James Powers of 
Bygland township. Katie is the wife of Owen La 
Velle of Grand Forks county, N. D. Anna is the wife 
of Albany Capistran of Lowell township. Ella is the 
wife of A. P. Roberts of Crookston. James lives on 
a farm cornering witli his father's and given to liim 
by his father. Delia has a dressmaking establishment 
in Grand Fork.s. William, the youngest of the boys, 
is to get the home farm in time. Jennie, the youngest 
of the family, also lives at home. All the members of 
the family belong to the Catholic church at Fisher, 
Minn. 

Mr. Comieran has served in several township 
offices, especially those having to do with road work. 
His railroad section supervision has been of great 
service in this connection, and as a result the town- 
ship has very good roads. He has had a great deal of 
draining done and has labored hard to obtain the 
establishment of a general .system of county ditches, 
all the best ones in and near his locality being pro- 
vided for largely through his strenuous efforts in this 
behalf. 



MRS. CHESTINA A. MESSETT. 



Having been successfully engaged in merchandis- 
ing at Mentor throughout the last twenty years, and 
having won a competence for life by her industry, 
thrift and good management, Mrs. Chestina A. Mes- 
sett has justly earned the high regard in which she is 
held by the residents of Grove Park township as a 
business woman, as she has also the universal esteem 
she enjoys because of her usefulness in other lines of 
activity and service to the public. No woman in Polk 
county is more highly or more generally respected, and 
there is none who deserves to be. 

Mrs. Messett was born near Zumbrota, in Goodhue 
county, Minnesota, and grew to womanhood there. 



obtaining a fairly good education for her time and 
surroundings and opportunities. In her young wom- 
anhood she came to Polk county for about seven years 
and was employed as a teacher in the public schools, 
winning high favor for her success in the work. She 
was married in this county to I. K. Messett, a native 
of Norway, who was one of the early settlers in the 
county. He was a progressive and enterprising citi- 
zen and took an active part in the public affairs of his 
township and those of the Synod Lutheran church 
during his life. 

Mrs. Messett and her husband became the parents 
of one child, their daughter Belinda G., who is now a 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



471 



school teacher also, following the excellent example 
of her mother. The latter was appointed postmistress 
of Mentor and held the office seventeen yeai-s. In 
addition to her other property she owns 240 acres of 



land in Grove Park township and personally super- 
vises the cultivation of the farm, and in this work, as 
in her store, her excellent business qualifications are 
well displayed. 



OSCAR WICK. 



For more than a quarter of a century Oscar Wick 
has conducted the East Grand Foi-ks nursery to the 
great benefit of his own township and those that ad- 
join it in this state and North Dakota. He started the 
business in 1890, and he now has about one-half of the 
seventy acres of land in his nursery tract devoted to 
propagating hardy and flowering shrubs, ornamental 
and fruit trees, especially crab and other apple, plum 
and cherry trees, and such small fruits as strawberries 
and other berries. He also makes a specialty of pro- 
ducing fine asparagus plants in great numbers, and 
he gives particular attention to his ornamental tree 
and shrub department. 

Mr. Wick was born in Sweden June 30, 1857, and 
became a resident of Minnesota in 1879. He was 
specially prepared for his business by thorough train- 
ing at good horticultural schools and by practical 
work, and he is, therefore, a complete master of it, 
but he is also still a diligent student and close observer 
of its development in every line of progress. He was 
married in 1881, at Blanchard, North Dakota, to Miss 
Carrie Erickson, who died in 1890, leaving three chil- 
dren. Of these Ella, the first born, died at the age 
of nine years. Roy is a conductor on the Great North- 
ern railroad and lives in Grand Forks, and Conrad is 
a gardener on land near his father's. 

In 1893 Mr. Wick contracted a second marriage, 
which united him with Jliss Augusta Jernberg, who is 
also a native of Sweden. They have three children: 
Ella, who is a stenographer in the Northern State 
Bank of Grand Forks, and Lillie and Rudolph, who 
are living at home with their parents. The father was 
one of the founders of the Swedish Lutheran church 
in Grand Forks and served as its organist for seven 
years. The first money he made he sent back to his 



old music teacher in Sweden. His children inherit his 
musical talent and are themselves all accomplished 
musicians. 

Mr. Wick located at Blanchard, North Dakota, in 
1880, and there he built a hotel and became a grain 
merchant. When he decided to change his occupation 
he was unable to sell his property at Blanchard, and 
so he came to Grand Forks without capital and started 
in selling nursery stock for the Grand Forks Nursery. 
He soon discovered that the profits in the business were 
large and decided to engage in it himself. He bought 
part of the land he now devotes to it, paying $60 an 
acre for it, although it was then full of stumps and 
brush, going in debt for the purchase money and bor- 
rowing $200 in addition. The land is on the east side 
of Red River, one mile south of East Grand Forks, and 
well located for his purpose. 

For a time he conducted a restaurant in which he 
made money, but opposition developed when it was 
learned that he was going to start a new nursery. One 
Grand Forks and one Hillsboro, North Dakota, news- 
paper worked against him and were accused of being 
paid for doing this. But the Northwest News and the 
Normander gave his undertaking encouragement 
which proved to be of great advantage to him. 

In a little while he bought more land, paying $150 
an acre for some of it, and he now owns seventy acres. 
His rule of action has been to deal fairly with every- 
body, correct all mistakes of his own, replace poor 
stock and make every effort to produce stock suitable 
for the climate and local conditions. His business ex- 
panded steadily and brought him increasing pros- 
perity. He now has a very desirable home with an 
avenue bordered by stately trees of his own planting 
leading to the dwelling and artistically arranged 



472 



COJIPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



grounds decorated with ornamental trees and shrub- 
bery surrounding it. 

Mr. Wick has contributed a great deal to improving 
the conditions of life in his home locality, much of 
the beautiful landscape gardening about the homes in 
East Grand Forks and its parks being the result of 
his efforts. He has spared no labor or expense in 
testing shrubbery and fruit culture, acclimating many 
varieties of such products that had long been consid- 
ered too tender to gi'ow in this latitude. Thirty yeara 
ago it was believed that the only kind of apples that 
would live and flourish in this section of the country 
were crabapples. But in consequence of his enter- 
prise and ability many varieties of apples are now 
produced here in fine qualities and of great commer- 
cial value in all the markets. 

From the beginning of his residence in what is now 



Rhinehart township Mr. Wick has taken an earnest 
interest and an active part in its public affairs. The 
four sections bordering on and near to the Red river 
were paying their taxes but getting no road improve- 
ment or other benefits. He started a movement to ob- 
tain their right to manage their own affairs by separa- 
tion from Grand Forks township and the formation 
of a new township by themselves. The movement suc- 
ceeded in time and after considerable effort. Rhine- 
hart township was organized, Mr. Wick was elected 
township clerk and later a justice of the peace, and 
it was only a short time until the new town.ship found 
itself in a desirable condition, with good roads in every 
direction and a surplus of funds in its trea.sury. Mr. 
Wick is a Democrat in his political faith and alle- 
giance, and he is a "live one" in political contests, as 
he is in everything else in which he takes an interest. 



OLE HANSON. 



"Tried by both extremes of fortune and not .seri- 
ously disturbed by either" is a motto that might be 
appropriately applied to the enterprising farmer, 
courteous gentleman and public-spirited citizen who 
is the subject of this brief review. He has suffered 
hardship, privation and adversity in some of their 
most cruel forms, and he has triumphed over every 
difficulty and won a substantial competence for life 
by his own industry, thrift and good management, yet 
through all conditions and changes of fortune he has 
been the same firm, intrepid, hopeful and enterprising 
man, undaunted by Fate's greatest exhibitions of un- 
kindness and not unduly elated over Fortune's most 
generous benefactions and sunniest smiles. 

Ole Hanson was born at Lurvig, Norway, March 16, 
1855, and when he was about eleven years of age came 
with his parents, Hans and Cheston Oleson, to the 
United States, arriving in 1866. In October, 1877, 
the family settled in Polk county, Minnesota, on Sec- 
tion 31, in Nesbit township, where the father died one 
year later and the mother three years after his death. 
They were the parents of twelve children, of whom 
their son Ole was the fourth in the order of birth. 



Mr. Hanson was about twenty-two years old when 
he arrived in this county, and he at once bought one- 
half of Section 31, Nesbit township, and on this tract 
he has ever since had his home, but he has added to 
his original holding by subsequent purchases, and he 
now owns and cultivates 360 acres, which, by his in- 
telligent and skillful methods of farming he has made 
very productive. He had a hard struggle at first, 
however, and it required nerve and determined per- 
sistency to get through it. His first habitation on the 
land was a mud or sod shack, which was very inade- 
quate for comfort or even shelter, and the other home 
appliances were in keeping with this. But the sod 
shack long since gave way to a good modern dwelling, 
and the other buildings that Mr. Oleson has erected 
are also modern and complete in every particular. 
His principal industry on this farm is general farm- 
ing, but he also raises and handles live stock to a con- 
siderable extent, having on hand about twenty head 
of horses and forty of cattle, on an average. 

While Mr. Hanson has paid strict and constant at- 
tention to his own affairs he has also given heed in 
an interested and helpful way to those of the town- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



473 



ship and county of his home. Their welfare and 
progress have been objects of strong and continual 
desire with him, and he has been an influential factor 
in promoting their advancement. He has long been 
one of the school trustees of District No. 117, and in 
many other ways has been of great service to the pub- 
lic in his locality, and every public interest has always 
had hi.s earnest, intelligent and most active support. 



On July 23, 1893, he was married to Miss Bertha Ark- 
haus, who is, like himself, a native of Norway. They 
have no children of their own but are rearing and 
educating a sou named Willard and a daughter named 
Grace, whom they have adopted. Mr. and Mis. Han- 
sou are zealous and active members of the United 
Lutheran church. 



ELIAS G. GUSTAFSON. 



Elias G. Gustafson, one of the enterprising, pro- 
gressive and successful farmers of this county, is a 
veritable pioneer of Woodside township in the true 
sense of the terra. He broke the first land and raised, 
reaped and threshed the first grain produced in that 
township and helped to plant the seeds of its present 
civilization and development. He was born in Sweden 
May 22, 1857, and when he was ten years old came to 
this coimtry with his parents, Gustaf and Mary Elia- 
soii. The family located in Douglas county, Minne- 
sota, where the mother died October 12, 1879. Two 
years later the father and the rest of the family- 
moved to this county and took up their residence in 
Woodside towuship, where the father died in the fall 
of 1909. 

When the son came to Polk county late in the fall 
of 1881 he at once took up a tract of wild land iu 
Woodside township, which was all wild then, and 
began improving it. He has lived in Woodside town- 
ship ever since except for six years, during which he 



was engaged in farming in Godfrey township. Farm- 
ing has been his principal occupation from his youth 
and he has made it a successful and profitable one for 
him. He now owns 340 acres of good land improved 
with buildings well suited to his needs and nearly all 
under cultivation. He has held the office of super- 
visor of Woodside township for a number of years and 
is also a member of the school board. 

On November 15, 1884, Mr. Gustafson was married 
in Woodside township to Julia M. Johnson, a native 
of Norway. They liave had thirteen children, two of 
whom, a son and a daughter, died in infancy. The 
eleven who are living are John R. G., Caroline, Wil- 
liam W., Antone N., Edward E., Guste, George N., 
Otto, Conrad, Walter and Theo. Caroline is the wife 
of Ole R. Luckan. Mr. and Mrs. Gustafson are zeal- 
ous and serviceable members of the Norwegian Luth- 
eran church and take a helpful interest in all its work 
for the good of the community. 



OLE HELMER ESTENSON. 



Known far and wide as one of the best and most 
capable business men in this county, and esteemed 
wherever he is known as a man of sterling worth and 
progressive and serviceable citizenship, Ole Helmer 
Estenson, manager of one of the leading mercantile 
enterprises of Climax, has earned his rank and repu- 
tation by his genuine merit and fine business capacity, 

and also by his intelligent, helpful and stimulating 
30 



interest in every undertaking which makes for the 
advancement and enduring welfare of his home com- 
munity. 

Mr. Estenson is a native of Vineland township, this 
county, having been bom on his father's farm in that 
township January 22, 1878. He is a son of Ole and 
Paulina Estenson, who were pioneers of Vineland 
township, locating on a homestead there early in the 



474 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



seventies. They became the parents of five children, 
all of whom are living. Emma is now the wife of 
Mertin Strommen, and a resident of Vineland town- 
ship. Ole H. is the immediate subject of this review. 
Peter is still living at liome with his parents. Ida is 
the wife of Sever Rostvcdt and has her home in North 
Dakota, and John is also still a member of the parental 
family circle. 

Ole H. Estenson, the second born of the five chil- 
dren, was reared to manhood on his father's farm and 
obtained only a common school education. In 1900 he 
began his mercantile career in the Estenson company 
of Clima.x. The partnership continued until 1911, 
when the business was sold to the Climax Co-operative 
Mercantile company, Mr. Estenson remained as a clerk 
in the store under i+s new owners for a vear, then 



moved to Canada and took up a homestead, on which 
he lived two years and a half. At the end of that 
period he returned to Climax and was appointed man- 
ager of the store which he formerly owned, and in 
that capacity he has been connected with it ever since. 
In the government and social life of Climax IMr. 
Estenson has always taken a cordial interest and been 
a forceful factor. He proved his devotion to the wel- 
fare of the community by serving as a member of the 
village council with energj- and public spirit for some 
years. He is also a devout and serviceable member 
of the Norwegian Lutheran church. On August 10, 
1906, he was united in marriage with ]Miss Clara Ban- 
gen, a daughter of Hans H. Bangen, of Vineland 
township. Two daughters have been born of the 
union, Irene and Romona. 



WILLIAM JAMES PORTER. 



While he is not now and never has been regularly 
a resident of Polk county, William James Porter is 
entitled to recognition in this compendium of Polk 
county history because of his having married into one 
of the prominent families of the county and his inti- 
mate connection with certain features of the indus- 
trial and commercial life of the Polk county people. 

Mr. Porter was for a few- years a grain buyer at 
Davidson station, near the old Nesbit farm, and he 
married Miss Margaret Evelyn Nesbit, the daughter 



of James Nesbit, the owner of that farm and a mem- 
ber of the family in whose honor Nesbit township was 
given the name it bears, and he and Mrs. Porter own 
a part of the old family homestead, which is being 
farmed by a tenant. Mr. Porter has, during the last 
four or five years, been a grain buyer for the Diamond 
Mill in Grand Forks. 

Mr. and Mrs. Porter were married October 24, 
1906. They have four children. Myrtle Evelyn, 
Frances Marion, Lois Christina and Willard James. 



EDMLTND M. WALSH. 



Edmund M. Walsh, wlio is the author of the valu- 
able article in this work giving an interesting account 
of the early days in the history of Polk county, has 
been a resident of Crookston continuously since 1872, 
and during the whole period of his residence in the 
city has been prominent in its various lines of life, 
particularly in connection with its public affairs and 
those of Polk county, and the fi-atemal activities in 
both. 

Mr. Walsh was born in Essex count.y. New York, 



March 2, 1851, and in 1857 he was brought by Ills 
parents, Thomas and Eleanor Walsh, to Henderson, 
Sibley county, Minnesota, ■where he grew to manhood 
and obtained his education. In 1870 he assumed 
charge of a .store belonging to his father at Hender- 
son, but a short time afterward he sold this business 
and started a mercantile entei'prise of his own. He 
disposed of this also in a short time, and then went 
to GaiTV, now Winnipeg, Manitoba, where he did not 
tarry long, returning to this eountrj' in a few weeks 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



475 



and locating at Grand Forks, Noi-th Dakota, and mov- 
ing from there to Crookstou in 1872, 

Soon after his arrival in Crookston Mr. Walsh was 
elected auditor of Polk county, being the first incum- 
bent of the office. In 1878 he organized the old 
Crookston Telephone company, and throughout his 
connection with it he served as its manager. He was 
a member of the first city council of Crookston, and 
for fifteen years he rendered valuable service as a 



member of the school board. In 1885 he was elected 
mayor of Crookston, and at the end of his term he was 
re-elected. But in the meantime, in 1886, he was also 
chosen clerk of the district court. He has long taken 
an earnest interest and an active part in the affairs 
of the Masonic Order, which he joined in 1880, and in 
which he was made a Knight Templar in Palestine 
Commandery No. 14, at Fergus Falls, ^Minnesota, in 
1886. 



MRS. MARY BUCKLEY NELSON. 



The career of this good woman in Polk county, 
which has covered a period of nearly forty years, 
has been one of great usefulness and her life has been 
one of continuous devotion to the comfort and gen- 
eral welfare of others. She was born in Ireland 
August 16, 1849, the daughter of Matthew and Anna 
( Murphy j Buckley, who came to the United States 
in the year of her birth and located in Adams county, 
Wisconsin, where they lived until she was six years 
old. At that time her father entered the United 
States army and was commissioned captain of Com- 
pany D, Fourth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, dur- 
ing the Civil war. He died in the fall of 1865. 

The daughter was married in Wisconsin May 14, 
1878, to Christopher Nelson, a native of Norway. 
Soon after their marriage the young couple took up 
their residence in Polk county, making their first 
home in it in Crookston, where Mrs. Nelson, for five 



months taught the first school ever kept in the place. 
The next year she and her husband moved to Fanny 
township and took up a half -section of land on which 
they lived and which they improved and cultivated 
for sixteen years. At the end of that period they 
lived for a year on a farm in Euclid township, and 
then moved to the village of Euclid, where they fol- 
lowed keeping a hotel, and where Mr. Nelson died 
March 17, 1912, at the age of seventy-four years. 

ilr. and Mrs. Nelson were the parents of five 
children : Anna, who is the wife of ilr. Joseph Hene- 
meth ; William, who died when ten years old ; Flor- 
ence, who is the wife of J. Dunnoody ; and Amber 
E. and Walter, who are still living with their mother. 
She ow-ns 200 acres of land in Polk county and takes 
an earne.st interest in everything that affects the 
welfare of the county. 



NELS M. MALMBERG. 



Owning 280 acres of superior laud in Fisher town- 
ship and eighty in Roome township, this county, and 
having the greater part of it under cultivation with 
good results, Nels 'M. Malmberg is one of the sub- 
stantial citizens of Polk county and one of its pro- 
gressive and successful farmers. His home farm is 
in Section 26, Fisher township, four miles southeast 
of Fisher and eight miles west of Crookston. He 
■was born in Sweden April 7, 1838, and came to the 



United States in 1869. In the fall of that year he 
joined his brother Andrew in St. Paul, the latter hav- 
ing come over about tAvo years and a half before. 
Nels had always worked on a farm in his native land, 
and his whole capital when he arrived in this country 
was $30 to $40. 

During his first winter in the United States Mr. 
Malmberg worked in the pineries. He was next em- 
ployed in laying track for the St. Paul & Duluth 



476 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



railroad, and iu his second winter he went south to 
Memphis and engaged in chopping wood. The next 
summer he was back at railroad work on the North- 
ern Pacific near TJrainerd and the next winter on the 
grade in Dakota. In the fall of 1872 he and his 
brother came to Polk county and selected land, and 
in the spring of 1873 he took possession of his, taking 
it first as a pre-emption claim but later turning half 
of it into a homestead. 

Mr. Malmberg's land is on Burnham's creek, which 
was named for Mr. Burnham, who settled in this 
county the j'ear before Mr. Malmberg, and with him 
came also Charles Matson, August Peterson, Martin 
Swentson and a Jlr. Christiansen, all of whom settled 
along the Red Lake river toward Crookston. INIr. 
Malmberg had eighty acres of timber in his tract and 
the rest was prairie. lie has since bought eighty 
acres of school laud and 100 acres more of prairie 
and timber land in Section 25, Fisher township, be- 
sides sixty-six acres in another tract and eighty acres 
of hay land in Roome township, or 360 acres iu all, 
and the whole body is productive in one way or 
another. 

In the early daj's this enterprising farmer sold 
wood and did anything else he could to turn his 
opportunities to advantage. He had two yoke of 
oxen with which he broke prairie land for other 
farmers, and he had to do whatever he could, be- 
cause he had only about .$300 when he came to the 



county, and this was very little with which to found 
a home and improve a farm in the wildei-ness and 
rear a family there. In his farming operations for 
years he depended on raising wheat and other small 
grain as his mainstay, but of late he has been keep- 
ing live stock and milks ten cows for cream, which 
he sells in Crookston. He has also been raising fine 
crops of corn for some years, steadily increasing his 
acreage in this cereal. 

Mr. Malmberg has devoted his attention largely to 
his farm and has taken no active part in public 
affairs and has held no political office at any time, 
although he has always been warmly and practically 
interested in the welfare and progress of his town- 
ship. For several years he was his own housekeeper, 
but in 1891 he was married to Mrs. Matilda Johnson 
Rodahl, a widow, born in Norway. They have two 
sons, Nels Henning and Alfred. Carl Rodahl, a son 
of Mrs. Malmberg by her former marriage, is also 
a member of the family, and they are all living on 
the farm. 

The first bridges over the creeks in the neighbor- 
hood were built by Mr. Malmberg and the other 
settlers, those over Burnham and Anderson creeks 
being built earlier. He and two or three others also 
sold and loaded the first carload of wheat that was 
shipped out of Crookston by rail, having sold their 
crops to Mr. Bailej' in that city. 



HENRY L. GAYLORD. 



Henry L. Gaylord, of Fertile, a prominent pioneer 
of Polk county is widely known through the manj^ 
interests of his busy career as lawyer, real estate 
dealer and farmer. He is a native of Minnesota, born 
at Rockville, Stearns county, November 15, 1857, the 
son of L. P. and Lida Gaylord, who came from Con- 
necticut to St. Anthony Falls in 1855 and shortly 
afterward removed to RockviUe, where L. P. Gay- 
lord operated the mill and postoffice and owned some 
six hundred acres of land. The Sioux outbreak of 



1862 caused him to seek safety for his family at St. 
Cloud and he later sold the land in Stearns county 
and for a number of years was employed as a lum- 
ber scaler by Bridgeman, making his home iu Min- 
neapolis for eight years. In 1877 he came to Red 
Lake Falls, then in Polk county and took a homestead 
four miles west of the town, iu Louisville township, 
where he was actively associated with the organiza- 
tion of community affairs and served in various local 
offices. Later he lived for a number of years in Cali- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



477 



fomia, returning to Polk county to spend the last 
years of his life with his son, in Fertile, M'here his 
death occurred in 1901, in his eighty-second year. 
Two sons, William 0. Gaylord and Henry L. Gaylord, 
are both residents of Minnesota, the former being a 
farmer in Beltrami county, having formerly been an 
employee in the courthouse at Minneapolis. 

H. L. Gaylord came to Crookston as a young man 
of twenty years and as his first business ventui'e, se- 
cured a contract with the Great Northern railroad for 
nutting cord wood, supplying them with some five 
hundred cords for engine use. The proceds from his 
work enabled him to purchase a yoke of oxen and 
establish his farming activities and in 1882 he located 
on a homestead in Liberty township, where he was 
one of the first settlers, Pat Connery and Christian 
Sankey being the only previous residents, the latter 
having been the first to file on a claim in that town- 
ship. Mr. Gaylord built a log house for his family 
and spent six prosperous yeai-s on the place, during 
which he erected good buildings and put one hundred 
and sixty acres under cultivation and stocked his 
farm with a large herd of cattle. But ambition di- 
rected his attention to other fields. The goal which 
his childhood's wishes had fixed for his manhood's 
career was the practice of law and native determina- 
tion and industry brought him victoiy over the re- 
stricted advantages and seemingly discouraging 
circumstances which attended his desire. During the 
years spent on the farm he secured law books from 
John Bottineau of Minneapolis and through his own 
efforts fitted himself for admittance to the bar and 
for practice in all the courts. During the earlier 
years of his life this latent ambition and ability had 
led his instigation of the organization of a number of 
debating societies in private homes and school houses 
and such a club was started by him in Fertile. Mr. 
Gaylord is notably associated with the history of 
Fertile, as the man who had charge of the sale of 
the lots when the townsite was put on the market in 
1888. The town was laid out by J. B. Holmes, of 
Minneapolis, who then sold the site to James M. 



Payne, a townsite owner of Carlton, Minnesota, and 
Mr. Gaylord was made the local agent. In the first 
week fifty lots were sold. The first building was 
erected by John LaDue, who removed his store from 
the old town of Fertile which he had started some 
years previous, about a mile south, and Fritz Barholz 
also moved his hotel to the present site of the Fertile 
House. Other pioneer merchants were A. L. Middle- 
ton, Orpheim & Nelson and Mr. Gilmore. The law 
and real estate office of Mr. Gaylord was the fourth 
building to be erected on Main street. Mr. Gaylord 
began the practice of law before the justice of peace, 
while still living on his farm and served as a justice 
of peace for fourteen years. From the experiences 
of the early days he recounts many amusing instances 
of legal procedure, among which was the granting 
of a decree of divorce by a justice of peace in Nor- 
man county, and recalls a ease which he settled out 
of court by refusing a search wan-ant to a man who 
claimed that a sum of money had been taken from 
him in a saloon and instead searched the man, dis- 
covered the missing funds in the plaintiff's shoes. 
His principal opponent in these days was Mr. J. 
Walsuff. Other members of the profession, who have 
since moved away, were Edward Titus, now an attor- 
ney at Minneapolis, and Thomas Keith. For twelve 
years, Mr. Gaylord was associated in his professional 
interests with Judge Watts, during which time Mr. 
Watts gave his attention to the business in Crookston 
and Mr. Gaylord remained in Fertile. They were 
easily recognized as among the most able in this sec- 
tion and stood at the head of the profession in their 
activities in the courts, having as many as eighty- 
five cases on the calendar for one term. They 
engaged in numerous criminal cases and always suc- 
cessfully established their retainers' cause. The 
association was dissolved upon the election of Mr. 
Watts as judge and Mr. Gaylord has since continued 
the practice of law in the office which he opened in 
Fertile in 1893. A number of the important cases in 
which he has been interested have involved disputed 
titles to land and liis practice has included cases in 



478 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



the Supreme court, in one of which the sustaining of 
his contention that it was illegal for a justice of peace 
to change venue to a justice of peace in an adjoining 
township not adjoining the village, resulted in a state 
law. Aside from the many accomplishments of his 
legal career, Mr. Gaylord has engaged extensively in 
the real estate business, retained an active interest in 
his farm and for the last five years, has engaged in the 
mercantile business, operating a general store in Fer- 
tile. As a real estate dealer, he has handled one of the 
largest businesses in the county making a sales record 
of one week's sales of fifty quarter sections of land. In 
Fertile he has built some thirteen buildings among 
which is one of the first brick structures. He has 
given particular attention to the raising of potatoes 
in his agricultural enterprise and has taken three 
hundred bushels from the acre, raising a crop of ten 



thousand bushels. In all phases of public affairs his 
career has been marked by loyal service and able sup- 
port of the best interests of the community and as a 
member of the school board he was influential in se- 
curing the present splendid organization of the public 
school system. He is a member of the Republican 
party and has ever been an active worker in political 
circles. His fraternal affiliations are with the Masons 
and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Mr. 
Gaylord has been twice married, his first union wajs 
with Laura M. Briggs of Minneapolis, in 1875, and 
two sons were born to this marriage; Harry 0., who 
lives in Grand Forks, and George, who is a barber at 
Park River, North Dakota. In 1907 Mr. Gaylord 
was married to Kasper Aggerness, of Fertile and they 
have six children, Christina, Henrietta, Lida, Belle, 
Henrv and Harriet Beecher. 



T. THYGESON. 



Having come to this counti-y as a young man from 
his native land of Denmark, where he was born May 
27, 1843, and having worked his way to a comfort- 
able estate by his own efforts, and at the same time 
given careful and helpful attention to the public af- 
fairs of his community and township, T. Thygeson, 
one of the progressive and successful fanners of Polk 
county, has made a record creditable alike to himself, 
his native country and the land of his adoption. He 
has for years been seriously handicapped by a phys- 
ical affiiction, having lost his right leg in a threshing 
accident, but this has neither arrested his progress 
nor slackened his energj^ 

Mr. Thygeson arrived in the United States in 1865 
and at once came "West and located in St. Paul, where 
he worked at day labor until 1870, when he moved to 
Ottertail county, this state, and turned his attention 
to farming. He became the owner of a farm in that 
county and lived on it until 1877. He then came to 
Polk county, bringing with him as his only facilities 
for starting a new home in the wilderness two yoke 
of oxen and a few cows. He took up a homestead in 



Section 4, Andover township, five miles west of 
Crookston, on the prairie and one mile from any 
timber. Alexander Burnham and Peter Anderson 
were then the only other settlers in the neigliborhood, 
and they were on the creek, advantageously located, 
and had a start in developing and improving their 
land and obtaining the ordinary comforts of life. 

In a little while Mr. Thygeson put up a log shanty 
on his tract, afterward erecting a larger and more 
substantial log house. His present dwelling was built 
in 1906, and is a comfortable and attractive home 
for him and his family. He also has a large bam 
built four years ago, or in 1911. To his original 
tract he has added another quarter section, so that 
he now owns and cultivates 320 acres in one body. 
His principal crops are wheat, barle.y, rj'e and oats, 
and in 1915 his products of these amounted to about 
6,000 bushels. He keeps regularly six cows and makes 
l)utter of a superior grade for private customers. He 
also raises good horses and carries on a general farm- 
ing industry embracing everj' ordinary feature of 
the business. 

Being one of the very early settlers in Andover 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTOEY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



479 



township, Mr. Thygeson took an active part in all its 
activities at the beginning of its histoiy. He helped 
to organize the township and has served it well and 
wisely as a member of its board of supervisors. The 
interest in its welfare awakened in him on his arrival 
here has continued to the present time, and he is still 
zealously devoted to its good and that of its residents. 
In political allegiance he is a Woodi-ow Wilson Demo- 
crat, and in religious feeling he is liberal, favoring 
no one church sect above another. He is a man of 
sturdy habits and never neglects his business, but he 
occasionally takes a hunting trip, which he enjoys 
intensely, and which constitutes almost his only recre- 
ation. 

Mr. Thygeson was married while living in St. Paul 
to Miss Thrine Cresterson, who is, like himself, a 



native of Denmark. They have had ten children. 
One died in infancy, and a son named William passed 
away at the age of twenty-five. He had been farther 
West and died in Montana on his way home. The 
eight who are living are: Christian, who is a me- 
chanic in an auto shop in Crookston; Thomas, who 
is boss carpenter in a railroad repair shop; George, 
who is single and living at home ; Alfred, who is liv- 
ing on a homestead of his own near Middle River; 
Henry, who married Miss Eva Capistran and whose 
three children died in infancy ; Lena, who is the wife 
of Gust Lavine, of Polk Station, this county; Anna, 
who is the wife of Otto Schroeder, and lives with him 
in Seattle, and Laura, who is Mrs. Robert Nicholson, 
whose home is in Winnipeg, Canada. 



OLE J. VOLLAND. 



Having come to this country at the age of twenty- 
one without capital of any kind but a determined 
will and a good trade, and having suffered a serious 
setback through ill health, yet, in spit^ of all adverse 
circumstances, having made his way by industry and 
perseverance to independence and worldly comfort, 
Ole J. Volland, a prosperous farmer of Andover town- 
ship in this county, is entitled to high commendation 
for his successful career, which is creditable to him- 
self, his native land and the land of his adoption. 

Mr. Volland was born in the historic city of Tron- 
dhjem, Norway, October 20, 1861, and came to the 
Ignited States in 1882, joining at Crookston his 
brother Lewis, who had come over two years before. 
Lewis left Crookston eight years ago, changing his 
residence to North Yakima, in the state of Washing- 
ton. Ole J. had only $22 when he reached Ci'ooks- 
ton, and went to woi'k at once at his trade as a tailor. 
He was soon afterward taken ill, however, and forced 
to seek outdoor employment. He then went to work 
at farm labor for Peter Berg in Roome township at 
$25 a month. As soon as his health improved he 
became a full hand and received better wages. In 



the fall of 1883 he went to work for Andrew Ander- 
son of Andover township, whose only daughter he 
afterward married, as told in a sketch of her brothers 
Andi'ew and Arnold W. in this work. 

In the fall of 1889 Mr. Volland went to the stete 
of Washington and during the next three years re- 
mained in that state. He worked at day labor on a 
steam shovel until August, 1890, when he changed 
his base of operations to South Tacoma and was 
employed in helping to build the shops for the North- 
ern Pacific railroad at that point. In 1891 he came 
back to Crookston to collect some money he had 
loaned out here, and with the intention of returning 
to Washington. But, instead of going back to the 
coast he took employment of Ole Knudson for the 
summer, and in the winter he cut cord wood in the 
timber. 

In the fall of 1892 he bought his farm of 160 acres, 
which is the southwest quarter of Section 14 in An- 
dover township. He had saved $1,800 of his earnings, 
and agreed to pay $3,000 for the farm. It had been 
the homestead of Gust Olson and the only dwelling 
on it was a little old log cabin, but Mr. Volland lived 



480 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY 



in this four years and then built his present residence. 
The barn on the place was erected some eight or nine 
years ago. He has also sunk an artesian well 225 feet 
deep at a cost of $500, and this supplies his house and 
bam with excellent water. 

Mr. VoUand devotes his energies principally to rais- 
ing grain. In 1895 he raised 40 bushels of wheat to 
the acre. 1896 was a year of partial crop failure, but 
1897 was a good year. His yield for the present year 
of 1915 amounted to about 6,500 bushels of grain in 
all, 3,681 bushels of which were oats, 1,271 barley, 
and the rest com and millet, part of the crop being 



produced on land which he has rented. He keeps 
regularly a number of head of Holstein cattle, milking 
nine cows and selling cream to the creamery and con- 
fectionery stores. He is a Republican in politics and 
has served three years as township supervisor. His 
religious affiliation is with the Lutheran church. In 
189.3 he was married to Miss Julia Anderson, the 
daughter of Andrew and Sarah (Bordahl) Anderson, 
of Andover township. They have four children, all 
living at home, Andy, Stella, Laura and Edna. Mrs. 
VoUand is a member of the local Ladies' club. 



I 



.T. FRAZER MONTGOMERY. 



J. Frazer Montgomery, of Angus, a successful lum- 
ber and hardware dealer of Polk county, was born in 
Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, November 19, 1859, 
and came to Minnesota and to Angus in 1884, when 
he took charge of the general mercantile store owned 
by G. C. Winchester. This business had been started 
by the company of Flint and Winchester in 1882 as a 
branch of the W. A. Warren store in Marshall county 
and had been under the management of J. E. Flint 
previous to Mr. Montgomery 's employment. The lat- 
ter entered upon his commercial career in Angus with 
a capital of $7.50 and native business talent and ambi- 
tion sufficient to guarantee the success and prosperity 
which have attended his efforts. Under his able man- 
agement the operations of the store increased rapidly 
and won a large patronage from tlie surrounding ter- 
ritory, which is one of the richest grain sections in the 
county and whose citizens are thrifty members of the 
Scandinavian, Bohemian and German peoples aside 



from the native residents. In 1897 he extended the 
company's interests to the lumber business and this 
department, with the hardware business, now consti- 
tutes the principal interests of the store. Since 1898, 
which marked the zenith of the lumber trade, the other 
branch has grown steadily and in 1915, enjoyed its 
largest trade. In 1908, Mr. Montgomery became sole 
owner of the business, which requires a fifteen thou- 
sand dollar stock and stands a material evidence of a 
successful business career. The postofifice of Angus 
was established in this store in 1884 and Mr. Mont- 
gomery served as assistant postmaster until 1895 when 
he was appointed postmaster. Aside from his com- 
mercial activities, he has also invested considerably in 
farm lands. He is a member of the Democratic party 
and has served as a county commissioner. Mr. Mont- 
gomery was married in 1898 to Helen M. McAvoy of 
Crookston. 



JOSEPH CROY. 



Joseph Croy, who is one of the progressive and 
enterprising citizens of East Grand Forks, and has 
been, in his time, largely engaged in general farming 
and market gardening with his own labor and direc- 
tion as the principal factors in his industries, but has 



born in Jasper county, Iowa, January 26, 1860, the 
son of John and Hannah (Hale) Croy, the former a 
native of Ohio and the latter of Pennsylvania, but 
both reared in Indiana and married in that state. 
They moved to Iowa soon after their marriage, and 



lately put most of his land in the care of tenants, was the mother died there when Joseph was but six years 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OP POLK COUNTY 



481 



old. He passed the next four years with his uncle, 
Jacob Croy, who is now eighty-two years of age. 

When the father married again at the end of this 
four years Joseph returned to the family and re- 
mained with it until he reached the age of twenty- 
one. He then worked a year on a railroad grading 
and hauling, and the next year rented a farm. After 
he sold his croj^ on tliis farm he went to Buffalo 
county, South Dakota, and took up a pre-emption 
claim on the Missouri river, 75 miles west of Mitchell. 
He lived on this claim three years and then rented 
it three years M'hile he visited the Black Hills and 
other parts of the land. 

On June 14, 1893, Mr. Croy came to Crookston, and 
in the fall of 1894 he bought twenty acres of stump 
land with all the timber cut off except about sixty 
cords of wood, paying $575 for this purchase and 
going in debt $200 to make it. The land had a little 
log house on it and he moved into this. He had four 
horses and an old wagon for his farm work and just 
enough furniture to start housekeeping in a very 
primitive way. Then he had a setback through a 
spell of sickness, the only one he has ever had in 
Minnesota. But he cut and sold his wood and got a 
few acres of his land cleared. He planted corn, 
tomatoes and other vegetables, and from that time 
on times have been easier and more prosperous for 
him. He bought additional land at different times 
at prices ranging from $30 to $101 an acre, and de- 
voted his energies mainly to raising potatoes, onions 
and cabbage, which he sold to families at their homes, 
running a peddling rig seven or eight years. 

In the course of time Mr. Croy owned eighty-two 
and a half acres and devoted nearly the whole tract 
to garden products, with some grain to vary his crops 
and keep his land in order, and one year he cleared 
$3,700 on this land, which he occupied and fai'med 
for five years and a half. He then bought a part of 
his present home place and 34 acres of the old Mur- 
phy farm, paying $4,500 for the latter, and taking up 
his residence on it. He also bought the IMurphy out 
lots, on two of which he now lives, the lots number- 
ing eight, so that he now owns 68 acres and these 



eight lots inside the city limits of East Grand Forks, 
in addition to his other land, all of which is rented 
except the few acres which he cultivates himself. 

Mr. Croy has raised 1,000 bushels of onions per 
acre and enormous crops of cabbage and potatoes. 
He is an intensive farmer and will be satisfied with 
nothing but the best possible results from his work. 
In 1911 he bought 60 acres of the Rinnfranz farm 
just outside of the city limits, and this is also rented, 
but the place is farmed in the same way as his other 
land. In 1914 he raised 6,000 bushels of potatoes and 
in 1915 his average yield was 100 bushels to the acre. 
He has a good local market but had also shipped his 
products in carload lots to Duluth and realized $700 
a car for them. His son John is emulating his bright 
example to advantage. This young man is eighteen 
years old now (1916), and he has made a record as 
a corn grower that is almost phenomenal, producing 
on a measured acre 117.58 bushels in the production 
of which he did all the work himself. 

While Mr. Croy was living in Rhinehart township 
he served as a member of the school board, but he 
has refused all persuasions to become a member of the 
city council in East Grand Forks. He was married 
in Buffalo county. South Dakota, to Miss Anna Belle 
Stearns, a native of Wright county, Iowa, but living 
on a claim with her parents in South Dakota at the 
time of her marriage. They have five children, 
Maud Esther, John Arthur, Hannah May, Grace and 
Dorothy. Maud Esther obtained a high school edu- 
cation and followed a course of special instruction in 
Union Commercial College. John Arthur is in his 
third year in the Central High School, and the others 
are attending schools of lower grades, the intention 
of their parents being to give them all good educa- 
tions. All the members of the family belong to the 
Methodist Episcopal church in Grand Forks, and Mr. 
Croy is a member of the Order of Modern Brother- 
hood. He has assisted an uncle and an aunt to be- 
come citizens of this country, and has been a liberal 
contributor to many worthy undertakings for the im- 
provement of the various communities in which he 
has lived. 



GENERAL INDEX 



Aaklms, Tallak, H 166 

Aaaen, H. S 26G 

Adair, James 328 

Aker, Hon. Knute S 364 

Akcrlund, August 177 

Alrick, John J 153 

Amundson, John 348 

Anderson, Adolph N 335 

Anderson Brothers 278 

Anderson, Daniajl 296f 

Anderson, Henry 159 

Anderson, Robert 177 

Anderson, Torkel G 403 

Anglim, W. S 465 



B 



Baatz, Frederick 363 



Bratrud, O. Edward, M. D 244 

Brekke, W. S 280 

Brown, Aaron 275 

Brown, Christian T ng 

Bruun, Ole F 285 

Buckler, Hon. R. T 194 

Buckley, Edward A 274 

Bulin, John 153 

Bydal, Thorvald A 171 

Bye, Charles J 355 



Cameron, William 330 

Campbell, James E 253 

Cathcart, James M 193 

Childs, Ellsworth D 372 

Christiansen, Ole 428 

Christiansen, Amund 377 

Christiansen Brothers 446 



Bagley, Sumner C'hesly 209 Christiansen, Gustav 445 



Bailey, William Henry 303 

Balfour, Robert H 424 

Balstad, Henry 207 

Balstad, K. 6 424 

Bang, Ole H 350 

Bang, Thore H 180 

Bangen, Hans H 281 

Barrett, Richard 317 

Basgaard, Ole S 340 

Bearsen, B. E 261 

Bennes, Brnt M 281 

Bensen, Martin 162 

Benson, Glaus 429 

Berg, C. M 342 

Bjella, Levor A 166 

Bjein, 0. H 190 

Bjontegard, Jacob 292 

Bjornstad, Odin J 433 

Bjugstad, Brnt L 363 

Boisvert, Simon 463 

Boles, J. Frank, D. D. S 380 

Bolstad, Eddy 154 

Bolstad, John N 400 

Boukind, Halbert P 460 

Beyer, Theodore M 434 

Bradley, Julius 308 

Brandveld, Avie P 357 

483 



Christiansen, John 434 

Clementsen, Nela 422 

Clementsen, Hon. John 423 

Ckillin, Medric 178 

Conger, Charles L 161 

Cenneran, John 469 

Coulter, George 438 

Cerbett, Right Rev. Timothy 371 

Cox, Ann 405 

Cronquist, A. F 246 

Croy, Joseph 478 

Cumming, Hon. James 456 



Dahl, Ole B 382 

Dale, Ole H 287 

Dale, Rev. J. B. A 142 

Dampier, Charles E., M. D 196 

Daniels, Orin 180 

Danielson, Torkel 322 

Davidson, John 386 

Dokken, Filing T 387 

DriscoU, James 302 

DriscoU, Jerry 402 

Driscoll, John 384 

DriscoU, Michael • • 359 



484 



INDEX 



Duckstad, Brown 391 

Duiilnp, Alex H., M. D 199 

Duiiriul, Hans 221 

E 

Katon, Andrew M 227 

Kdevold, Ole 240 

Kggan, John 463 

l::ickhof, Chris 283 

Eide, Captain Peter J 186 

Eide, Odd 145 

Eklund, K, G 219 

Elg, John E 412 

Ellinpson, Erick 393 

Engebretson, Evan A 235 

Engen, Ole 409 

Enright, Michael L 293 

Enright, Richard 390 

Erickson Brothers, E. H. and M. H. (Both in same sketch.) 427 

Erickson, Olof 439 

Erickson, S. E 366 

Erikson, Erie J 157 

Erikson, John A 170 

Espeseth, Gilbert K 163 

Espeseth, Peder K 309 

Estenson, Esten 454 

Estenson, Ole Heliner 473 

Estenson, Ole 442 

Evanson, Sam T 276 

Evje, Christopher H 390 

P 

Ferguson, Duncan B 323 

Fiehbeck, Lane R 242 

Flaskerud, K. E 351 

Flaten, George J 393 

Flatten, H. H 327 

Flatten, Ole H 330 

Fleming, William 436 

Flesch, John A 254 

Flint, Lewis E 282 

Floan, H. G 418 

Fontaine, Louis 360 

Foskctt, L. T) 189 

Fossbakken, Paul K 211 

Fyffe, Alexander 216 

6 

Gamme, Antone M 147 

Gaylord, Henry L 476 

Gilbert, Carl J 441 

(!onyea, Louis 204 

Grady, Frank A 185 

Gronberg, Carl A 279 

Groven, Olof M 370 



Gullickson, Albert 258 

Gustafson, Elias G 473 

H 

Haftorson, Haftor B 294 

Hagc, G. 204 

Hagan. August 226 

Hagen, Bernt J 312 

Hagen, John A 226 

Halvorson, Harry M 170 

Hamilton, W. D 230 

Hansen, Carl Ludwig 416 

Hansen, E. E 209 

Hanson, A. P 257 

Hanson, Fred 337 

Hanson, Hans 387 

Hanson, Hans L 236 

Hanson, Norman 425 

Hanson, Ole 472 

Harris, Thomas A 206 

Hauge, E. M 244 

Haugen, Arne J 349 

Hayes Brothers, James C, Samuel C 467 

Heath, A. J... 213 

Heath, C. C. (See First State Bank Beltrami) 138 

Hedlund, Peter J 349 

Heiorstad, Andrew 352 

Heldstab, John 174 

Hendricks, Henry C 415 

Hendricks, John Albert 367 

Hendrickson, Ole 383 

Hendrickson, Thomas 319 

Hesseldahl, Lewis M 155 

Hill, James Jerome 444 

Hitchcock, Charles A 192 

Hoir, Ole 316 

Hoffe, Andrew N 284 

Hofto, Steen A 156 

Hogenson , Hogen B 1 69 

Hogenson, Hogen Menill 262 

Hoglund, Victor H 147 

Hoogenson, Martin 150 

Hole, C. P 229 

Helen, Andrew K. . 419 

Holley, William 285 

Holmes, Cryus H 288 

Holte, Helvor, M. D 193 

Holten, Hon. John 260 

Horken, Helmer 380 

Hotvedt, Peter A 373 

Hotvedt, W. L. (Included in sketch of Peter A. Hotvedt.) 374 

Hove, Johannes R 220 

Hoven, Ole 241 

Hovland, Hon. A. L 370 

Hovland, James 341 

Hoye, Iver 398 

Hoyne, Gilbert H 245 



INDEX 



485 



Huaby, Gunner I45 

Hushagen, Paul J 233 

J 

Jackson, William 368 

Jensen, Anton 208 

Jensen, Mads W 153 

Jevning, Ole 448 

Jewell, Wellington H 189 

Jolianson, Heuiick 306 

Johnson, Edward W 290 

Johnson, Frank 310 

Johnson, Iver 167 

Johnson, John A 179 

Jorgenson, Emil 144 

K 

Keck, Bert D 253 

Kelleher, Cornelius J 373 

Kelley, Andrew J 431 

Kelley, Edwin F 188 

Kenn Brothers, Alexander, James D., John R., Edmund.. 4G8 

Kerr, Robert 316 

Kiewel, Charles E 195 

King, J. F 397 

Kingman, Ignatius 370 

Kjolhaug, ToIIof 315 

Kleven, Andrew 453 

Klinkhammer, Rev. AVilliam 271 

Kuudson, Knute 363 

Knudson, Ole 437 

Knutson, Steener 344 

Kolare, Frank W 455 

Kolden, L. S 406 

Krostue, Hon. Gunder 175 

KronBchnabel, George 307 

L 

La Barge, Edward 401 

Landesverk, Tallef B 338 

Larsen, L. W 343 

Larson, H. L 207 

Larson, Lewis E 299 

Larson, Ludwig 314 

Latta, Walter 330 

Lealae, Pat 461 

Lee, Hans 341 

Le Page, Ferdinand E 369 

Letnes, John 336 

Lind, Ole 343 

Lindblad, August 151 

Lindem, Anthon 301 

Logan, John 440 

Lohn, Cliarles M 433 

Lommen, Edwin E 198 

Loring, Charles 185 

Lytle, Wilbur G 1T3 



Mac 



MacPhee, John D 21I 

Mc 

McCarty , Charles 277 

McDonald, Daniel H 397 

McDonald, James 378 

McKenzie, William E 233 

McKinnon, Allan J 210 

McKinnon, John R 235 

McManus, Edwin 239 

McNicol, J. H 289 

M 

IMaguire, Michael 369 

Malmberg, Andrew M 396 

Malmberg, Nels M 475 

Marin, W. A 216 

Marsh, Harry L 184 

Melaas, Joseph 155 

Melbo, Hans H 358 

Melquist, R. J 239 

Mellesmoen, Ole 318 

Melsness, Einar 163 

Merrill, Anson Charles 411 

Merrill, Asa Alvern 437 

Messett, Knute E 179 

Messett, Mrs. Chestina A 470 

Michelson, Ole A 464 

Miller, Arthur A 203 

Miller, August 191 

Misner, Harvey Chase 146 

Misner, Harvey W 197 

Mitchell, Henry G 356 

Montgomery, J. F 480 

Morris, Tom 153 

Morvig, Anders 293 

Mossefin, Ed 259 

Mulcahey, Richard 269 

Mullally, James 273 

Murphy, W. G 458 

Myklejord, Ole 223 

N 

Nelson, August *^^ 

Nelson, Arne, M. D *^^ 

Nelson, Charles *^^ 

Nelson, Erick ^^^ 

Nelson, Frank E ^^^ 

Nelson, Knute ^*^ 

Nelson, Martin B ^^* 

Nelson, Mrs. Mary Buckley *''5 

Nelson, N. J ^^^ 

Nelson, Theodore ^'^^ 

Nelson, O. T .• •. • 250 



486 



INDEX 



Xf-abitt, Edward Hamlin 375 

Nessetli, Thomas H 417 

Newton, John A 242 

Nicholson, William T ;!i)5 

Nisbet, James 345 

Nisbet, Tliomas 389 

N jus, Kev. L. J 157 



Obiig, Henry H 466 

O'Brien, John W 191 

O'Brien, Martin 203 

O'Connell, James P 201 

Ohm, Richard 256 

Ohiistad, Jens, M. D. . 399 

Olslund, Die N 286 

Olson, Arnt 352 

Olson, Ole G 354 

Olson, Peter 329 

Opheini, Andrew 407 

Orvold, John A 338 

P 

Paulsrud, Hans 257 

Paulsrud, Peter J 289 

Poderson, Emanuel 255 

Pederson, Simon P 318 

Perry, John 270 

Peterson, Andrew 212 

Peterson, Andrew 403 

Peterson, Edward 197 

Peterson, James I. . 311 

Peterson, Martin G 247 

Porter, William James 474 

Q 

Quarbcig, Sever 295 

Quern, Carl 347 

Quern, Christian C 365 

Quigley, Patrick 346 

Quirk, Micliael 433 

R 

Rasmusaen, William J 143 

Rasmusson, Jolin R 190 

Rauenbuehler, Mark 183 

Reese, T. N. J 324 

Rcmick, Mr. and Mrs. John 297 

Reynolds, Hon. Reuben 279 

Riedesel, Carl 184 

Ringdal, Peter M 200 

Romo, Ole 430 

Rosaaen, Hans Olus 276 

Rose, Matt 231 

Rosholt, Norman 410 



Ross, Cliarles 384 

Rovang, Ole T leo 

Ryan, Charles L 449 

I^ygg''". Knute 164 

S 

Salverson, Ed SHi 

Samuelson, Hans 152 

Sanberg, G. H 394 

Sandem, Thomas 353 

Sandin, Olof M 325 

Sands, Martin 376 

Sargent, Joseph 283 

* Schmidt, August C 421 

Selvig, Conrad G 420 

Shadduck, L 214 

Sivertson, A. M 182 

Skoug, Charles F 199 

Slyter, Francis Marion 305 

Smith, Robert E 321 

Soes, Jacob P 144 

Solberg, A. I 267 

Solberg, Tom 251 

Solstad, Hans P 304 

Sonstelie, Ole E 237 

Sorby, Hans C 233 

Spokely, Albert 291 

Spokely, Alexander G 357 

Spokely, Gulik S 457 

Spokely, Julius 182 

Rtardig, Olof 165 

Stark A 253 

Stearns, F. Guy 435 

Steele, Andrew L 313 

Steenersoii, Andrew 150 

Steencrson, Christopher 410 

Steenerson, Elias 167 

Steenerson, Hon. Halver 263 

Stener.son, Gunder 201 

Stephens, Hon. A. D 205 

Stewart, Thomas D 404 

Stone, Nathan P 181 

Stortroem, Erick O 287 

Stowe, Edmund L 333 

Stromstad, John 446 

Street, Charles 173 

Street, William 171 

Stuhr, Peter 426 

Sullivan, Hon. Timothy A 273 

Sullivan, James T 339 

Swanson, Peter E 381 

Swenson, Sven Philip 149 

Sykes, Herbert B 159 

T 

Taglej-, Joseph 268 

Theillon, Rev. E 80 



INDEX 



487 



Thompson, Hugh 141 

Thompson, Theodore A 392 

Thor, Oscar 251 

Thoreson, Andrew 309 

Thoreson, Helge H 414 

Thoreson, Ole A 172 

Thorson, Alf ^ . . 447 

Thorson, N. A 395 

Thygeson, T 478 

Tice, John E 298 

Torgeson, Martin 222 

Tuveng, John E 221 

Tyndall, Ben 249 

U 

Uggen, Kuute F 326 

Ulve, Oscar 385 

V 

Vaatveit, John J 143 

Valor, Kornelius H 462 

Vasenden, Nels 315 

Volland, Ole J 479 

Vraa, John G 440 



W 



Walker, Thomas Barlow 74-451 

Walsh, Edmund M 09-474 

Watts, Hon. William 141 

Webster, Everett A 213 

Webster, R. T 291 

Welter, Nick 331 

Wentzel, Julius i7g 

Wheeler, Jerome Winthrop 137 

Wick, Oscar 471 

Widness, John A 224 

Wik, H. C. H .........'.'.'. 361 

Wilder, Charles W 300 

Will, David 314 

Wold, Andrew E 317 

Wold, O. T 336 

Y 

Youngquist, G. A 187 

Z 
Zejdlik, Frank, J 452 



1.^ 



^ 



s.V^ 


















■■<v* V->*5-v \.-;f.r.-\.^ %'-?^-> \ ••y.^T-- .*"%•-?«?»?.•/ '*. 




y.* V^^ \ 





,^ .. 



.V 



0' ,'•»- *> v* % 

^^ .^'^'' *i<\1fA'= "^-s- ^■^ ''^ 



'o V-" 





,<5 -^v 


















■4.^ V 




^^.^ 














. .* A 














"^^ 



<^_. - 








^°-^^. 



". -> 




0^ »1*_°' > 
















0^ r"-'" o 





















^■b^^ °o^(^Ay** .^"^. ^. 













A^ o ° " ° . ^>, 





